THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

RIVERSIDE 


FROM  THE  LIBRARY 

OF 
DR.  J.  LLOYD  EATON 


' 


Ck~JU^_-~^ 


(aJLu.^^    /^ 


I  he    Disappearance    Syndicate 


Senator  Stanley's  Story 


T.    C.    CRAWFORD 


Author   of    "  A    Man    and    His   Soul,"     "  American    Vendetta,"    "  English    Life 
Through    Yankee    Eyes,"    "  Life    of  James   G.    Blaine  " 


New  York 

CHARLES     B.     REED,     Publisher 

164,  166  &  168  Fulton  St. 

1894 


AUGUSTA   W.  FLETCHER,   M.  D. 


PREFACE. 

The  two  stories,  The  Disappearance  Syndicate  and 
Senator  Stanley's  Story,  contained  in  this  book,  originally 
appeared  in  the  Cosmopolitan  Magazine.  The  first  story 
has  been  slightly  elaborated  and  extended,  for  the  purpose  of 
developing  an  idea  which  the  limits  of  magazine  publication 
did   not   permit. 

The  right  to  republish  these  stories  in  book  form  has  been 
given  through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  J.  Brisben  Walker,  the 
editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Cosmopolitan  Magazine.  Mr. 
Walker's  appreciation  of  these  stories  led  to  their  being  illus- 
trated by  Mr.  Frank  O.  Small,  of  Boston ;  and,  in  the  per- 
mission to  republish  in  book  form,  the  additional  courtesy  of 
using   these   illustrations   was   included. 

CHAS.     B.    REED,  Publisher. 


The  Disappearance  Syndicate 

\ 


The     Disappearance     Syndicate. 


f'HAPTEK 


I.     A  chain  of  mysterious  disappearances   throughout 

the  world,        .......  9 

II.     Looking  for  facts  to  support  the  syndicate  theory 

of  Dr.  Briggs,      ......  15 

III.  The   sensation    created    by   the    disappearance    of 

banker  Musgrove,    .         .         .         .         .         .  23 

IV.  Searching  through  Europe  for  James  Musgrove,  33 

V.     A    remarkable    evening    at    the    Victoria    Gallery 

Club 38 

VI.     Lord  Robert's  theory  for   the   explanation  of   the 

character  of  Mortimer  Mortimer.         .         .  49 

VII.     The  editor  of  the  Wasp  in  London — The  sensa- 
tional disappearance  of  the  Duke  of  Wex,     .  56 

VIII.     A   dinner  at   the   Central    Station   of    Light   with 

Mortimer  Mortimer,     .....  69 

IX.     The  revelations  of  the  House  of  Light,  .         .  83 

X.     An  explanation  of  the  anti-materialistic  wave  now 

moving  over  the  civilized  world,  .         .  90 

XL     The  meeting  of  the  Council  of  Ten,  which  governs 

the  world 97 

XII.     A  study  of  the  workings  of  this  mysterious  Council,         103 

XIII.     A  return  to  normal  conditions,   .         .         .         .  in 


XIV.  Completely  changed  through  psychological  influ- 
ences, so  that  even  the  Wasp  editor  does 
not  recognize  me,    .         .         .         .         .         .         116 

XV.     Discovery  of  James  Musgrove  on  the  driver's  seat 

of  an  Oxford  street  'bus,     .         .         .         .  121 

XVI.  James  Musgrove,  the  cabman,  delivers  an  order 
for  a  special  service  to  be  performed  by 
Arthur  Livingstone,         .         .         .         .         .         125 

XVII.  Ronald  Hapgood  exerts  the  full  power  of  the 
Central  Station  of  Darkness  to  make  me  a 
deserter  from  the  service  of  light,      .         .  136 


Senator     Stanley's     Story. 


I.     Senator   Stanley  outlines    the  thread    of  a  peculiar 

story, 155 

II.     Seance  of  the  Hindoo  adept  at  Reynolds'  house,  161 

III.  Personal  experience  of  the  Senator  with  the  power 

of  the  adept,    .         .         .         .         .         .         .         171 

IV.  The  transformation  in  the  Senate  chamber,         .  174 

V.     The  work  of  a  substitute  in  the  body  of  Senator 

Stanley,  182 

VI.     Senator  Stanley  recovers   his   body,  but  under  cer- 
tain conditions,     ......  189 

VII.     The  Senator  consents   to    sacrifice  his  future  to  do 

an  unselfish  act,       .         .         .         .         .         .         195 

VIII.     The  final  fate  of  the  Senator,       ...  201 


CHAPTER    I. 

A  CHAIN  OF  MYSTERIOUS  DISAPPEARANCES  THROUGH- 
OUT THE    WORLD. 

LIFE  is  full  of  strange  possibilities  to  those  who  keep 
their  eyes  wide  open.  Even  to  those  who  are  blind 
there  comes,  at  some  turn  in  their  existence,  a  flash  of 
light.  I  have  had  a  queer  experience  in  my  life,  as  it 
has  thus  far  been  lived,  unlike  anything  I  have  ever 
heard  of  in  any  book  or  story.  For  a  brief  period  I 
dwelt  in  a  world  more  wonderful  than  any  described  in 
a  tale  of  the  Arabian  Nights.  How  I  came  to  lose 
this  rare  opportunity  of  living  a  life  of  light  and 
knowledge,  and  how  I  have  acquired  the  patience  to 
follow  again  the  humdrum  of  ordinary  existence,  may 
prove  interesting.  At  any  rate,  I  have  firmly  made  up 
my  mind  to  tell  the  story  exactly  as  it  occurred,  with 
the  hope  that  its  recital  will  do  some  good  to  those 
who  may  care  to  read  it  through  from  its  beginning  to 
the  end. 

My  name  is  Arthur  Livingstone.  I  have  been  a 
writer  upon  social  topics  for  many  years.  I  read  all 
the  papers  carefully,  and  am  ever  on  the  alert  for  out- 
of-the-way  topics.  At  the  time  of  the  beginning  of 
this  story  I  had  been  much  impressed  by  the  number 
of  peculiar  disappearances  throughout  the  world. 
These    disappearances    were    nearly    always    those    of 


IO  THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 

men  of  wealth  and  prominence.  There  never  ap- 
peared to  be  any  special  predisposing  cause,  so  far 
as  any  surface  clue  might  indicate. 

In  Paris,  during  the  preceding  summer,  I  had  been 
attracted  by  an  article  in  the  Petit  Journal  upon 
the  subject  of  mysterious  disappearances  throughout 
France.  The  French  are  the  most  curious  people  in 
the  world,  and  when  a  man  disappears  in  that  country, 
there  are  generally  any  number  of  witnesses,  who,  by 
shrewd  observation,  are  able  to  give  the  clue  which 
leads  to  a  rational  explanation.  But  this  article  called 
attention  to  the  curious  fact  that,  out  of  the  ten  cases 
noted  in  France  that  year,  all  had  been  identical  in 
character.  There  was  no  crime,  nor  scandal,  as  a  pre- 
disposing cause.  In  each  case  the  absent  individual 
had  been  in  prosperous  circumstances,  and  in  each  case 
the  disappearance  had  been  absolute,  no  trace  being 
found  afterwards. 

When  I  returned  to  New  York,  in  the  autumn,  I 
took  up  the  files  of  newspapers  kept  in  the  Mercantile 
Library.  I  went  carefully  through  the  leading  papers 
of  the  world  for  the  year,  looking  for  cases  of  mysteri- 
ous disappearance.  I  found  more  than  I  could  have 
anticipated,  and  found  them,  too,  in  every  country 
where  I  made  search.  The  record  of  London  had 
reached,  during  the  year,  as  high  as  twenty,  and  these 
really  notable  people.  In  Spain,  there  were  five  ;  in 
Italy,  ten  ;  in  Austro-Hungary,  five;  in  Germany,  ten  ; 
in  Russia,  fifteen ;  in  the  north  of  Europe,  fifteen, 
while  the  United  States  had  contributed,  in  the  same 
period,  some  twenty  cases. 


thk  disappearance  syndicate. 


II 


These  cases  were  all  alike,  the  world  over.  The 
people  were  always  prominent,  well-to-do,  with  no  ap- 
parent reason  for  their  "stepping  out."  The  disap- 
pearances were  always  unforeseen.  They  were,  also, 
as  complete  as  they  were  unexplainable.  Here  are 
two  cases  from   my  note-book   of  observations  in   the 


HUNTING   VY   CASES. 


American  papers.  Case  number  one  :  A  naval  officer, 
in  good  standing  at  Washington,  young,  handsome, 
unmarried,  leaves  Fortress  Monroe  on  an  Old  Dominion 
steamer  for  New  York.  His  friends  see  him  off,  and 
observe  that  he  is  in  unusually  good  spirits.  The  next 
morning  he  walks  up  the  dock  in  New  York,  and  steps 
out  into  the  unknown.      He  has  now  been  lost  for  one 


12  THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 

year.  The  utmost  resources  of  the  department  and  of 
his  friends  have  not  been  able  to  produce  a  trace  of  his 
existence.  Case  number  two  :  A  high  official  in  one  of 
the  government  departments,  who  has  a  pleasant  home 
and  an  agreeable  family,  leaves  his  office  at  mid-day, 
and  says  he  will  return  in  a  half-hour.  He  is  seen 
upon  Pennsylvania  avenue,  a  short  time  afterwards, 
and  then  disappears.  No  apparent  reason  for  his 
going  away,  however,  has  been  found,  while  the  world 
has  been  ransacked  by  detectives,  to  find  out  where  he 
could  have  gone. 

The  latest  case  to  attract  my  attention  was  the  dis- 
appearance of  a  banker  from  the  town  of  Winsted, 
Connecticut.  He  was  rich,  apparently  happy,  with  a 
well-brought-up  family.  He  had  no  bad  habits  known 
to  any  one  around  him.  He  had  come  to  New  York 
upon  a  business  visit,  and  had  never  been  heard  of 
afterwards.  His  accounts  were  found  to  be  correct  to 
a  penny.  There  was  no  evidence  of  any  love  affair. 
He  had  simply  stepped  out  into  the  unknown  and  had 
left  no  trace  behind  him. 

One  night,  at  the  Critics'  Club,  I  talked  over  the  dis- 
appearances noted  by  me  with  an  old  college-mate,  Dr. 
Briggs,  now  headmaster  of  a  large  private  school  near 
Boston.  He  suggested,  cynically  :  "  You  have  evolved 
such  a  chain  of  disappearances  throughout  the  world, 
that  you  have  proved  the  necessity  of  some  system 
behind  it  all.     And  a  system  argues  a  syndicate." 

"  A  syndicate  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  a  syndicate.  Why  not  ?  The  fact  that 
only  men  well-to-do  are  taken   shows  the  ear-marks  of 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE.  13 

a  great  business  enterprise.  The  further  fact  that  the 
dishonest  and  the  criminal  are  eliminated  from  their 
customers  shows  how  carefully  the  thing  is  managed 
and  how  it  runs  no  risk  of  exposure  or  of  coming  to 
ruin  through  conflict  with  the  law.  1  tell  you,  sir," 
and  here  the  professor  slapped  the  table,  "there  is,  un- 
doubtedly, somewhere  in  this  world  some  great  and 
overshadowing  genius,  who  is  the  directing  mind  of  a 
formidable  syndicate  created  for  the  purpose  of  pro- 
moting disappearances.  Oh,  what  would  I  not  give 
to  be  able  to  see  that  man  and  talk  with  him  !  " 

I  must  confess  that  I  was  a  bit  overwhelmed  by  the 
professor's  explanation,  and  I  could  only  feebly  ejacu- 
late, in  response  to  his  daring  originality  :  "  What  you 
say  is  ridiculous!  " 

"Why  ridiculous?"  said  the  professor,  sharply. 
"  Would  not  such  a  syndicate  make  an  appeal  to  the 
universal  nomadic  instinct  ?  There  are  men  with 
whom  you  touch  elbows  every  day,  who  are  outwardly 
cheerful,  but  who  are  bored  to  death — wearied  with 
the  routine  of  existence — who  would  jump  at  an  easy, 
ready-made  path  into  another  existence,  to  which  they 
could  escape  without  fear  of  bother,  scandal,  or  of  pos- 
sible failure  in  arriving  there.  Why,  I  once  knew  a 
man  who  committed  suicide  because  he  got  tired  of 
getting  up  every  morning  and  lacing  his  shoes  !  Then, 
the  cost  of  the  disappearance  would  cut  no  figure  if 
the  system  were  perfect.  Clearly,  this  syndicate  is 
under  the  direction  of  a  master-mind  !  Why,  he  can 
point  to  his  past  record  of  last  year  and  even  charge  a 
fee   of   one    hundred    thousand   dollars  to   the  weary, 


14  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

worn  candidate,  and  be  sure  of  getting  it !  I  think  he 
is  wise  in  keeping  the  number  limited  and  the  price 
high.  I  would  give  a  good  deal  to  meet  the  president 
of  The  Disappearance  Syndicate  !  " 

"  But,  professor,  why  do  you  go  so  fast  ?  Why  do 
you  treat  your  ingenious  surmise  as  such  an  indispu- 
table fact  ?" 

"  Simply  because  a  syndicate  is  the  only  explanation. 
Without  large  capital  and  a  perfect  system,  the  disap- 
pearances noted  by  you,  which  are  so  uniform  in 
character,  could  not  have  been  possible.  Large  capital 
and  a  system  are,  naturally,  the  product  of  a  well- 
organized  syndicate,  and  the  successful  syndicate  has 
always  back  of  it  the  man — the  dictator — who  makes 
things  cro." 


15 


CHAPTER  II. 

LOOKING    FOR    FACTS    TO    SUPPORT    THE     SYNDICATE 
THEORY    OF    DR.     BRIGGS. 

The  professor's  idea  interested  me.  I  was  cer- 
tain that  it  would,  at  least,  make  a  good  article  for 
one  of  the  Sunday  papers.  As  I  followed  the  thread 
of  my  friend's  whimsical  idea,  I  naturally  turned  in  the 
direction  of  a  possible  candidate  for  the  mythical  syn- 
dicate. I  found  him  in  my  old  friend,  James  Musgrove, 
banker  and  broker,  whose  New  York  house  had  Lon- 
don and  Paris  branches.  It  was  in  Paris  that  I  first 
knew  him.  It  was  through  his  house  that  I  had 
cashed  the  small  drafts  that  came  to  me,  at  fitful 
intervals,  as  compensation  for  stray  newspaper  letters. 
Musgrove  was  rich,  and  tired  of  everything.  He  had 
been  a  bold  speculator  all  his  life,  and  I  knew  that  any- 
thing really  new  would  divert  him  more  than  any 
other  man  of  my  acquaintance. 

I  made  up  my  mind  to  call  upon  him  and  discuss  the 
disappearance  syndicate  theory,  merely  to  listen  to  the 
flow  of  his  cynical  talk.  The  Winsted  banker  had 
been  one  of  his  customers,  and,  as  the  papers  were  still 
full  of  the  case,  it  gave  me  a  good  excuse  for  calling 
upon  him. 

I  found  the  banker  seated  in  the  private  room  re- 
served  for  customers.     At   that   time,   he   was   in   the 


l6  THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 

neighborhood  of  sixty  years  of  age.  He  sat  in  a 
stuffed  leather  chair,  with  huge  gold-mounted  eye- 
glasses fitted  up  against  his  eager  dark  eyes.  For  up- 
wards of  forty  years  he  had  been  tossing  about  upon 
the  raging  sea  of  speculation.  Originally  a  farmer's 
boy  in  central  New  York,  he  acquired  in  youth  a  stock 
of  health  and  vitality  that  had  stood  him  splendid 
service  during  his  life.  He  was  slightly  above  the 
medium  height,  with  a  round  and  heavy  figure.  He 
always  dressed  in  black.  His  coat  was  a  loose,  unbut- 
toned frock  ;  his  waistcoat  was  cut  low  enough  to  show 
a  good  expanse  of  white  shirt,  upon  which  gleamed  a 
large  diamond.  His  neck  was  encircled  by  a  high 
standing-collar ;  his  black  cravat  was  tied  in  the  form 
of  a  double  bow  at  his  throat.  His  trousers  were  cut 
as  wide  as  a  sailor's  ;  his  boots  were  broad,  low-heeled 
and  highly  polished.  His  hat,  worn  in  and  out  of 
doors,  summer  and  winter,  was,  nine  months  of  the 
year,  a  high  silk ;  for  three  months,  in  the  summer,  it 
was  a  coarse,  high-crowned  straw.  His  face  was  round, 
olive-tinted,  heavy-featured  and  thick-skinned.  His 
nose  was  a  wide-flaring  pug.  His  mouth  was  large  and 
thick-lipped ;  in  the  days  when  he  was  an  active  broker, 
engaged  on  the  floor  of  the  Stock  Exchange,  when 
opened,  it  gave  forth  the  roar  of  a  bull  or  the  growl  of 
a  bear,  according  to  the  side  he  was  engaged  upon,  in 
tones  only  too  realistic.  His  teeth  were  firm  and  even, 
indicating  a  sound  digestion,  while  his  dark,  close- 
cropped  and  curling  hair — slightly  thinning  now  towards 
the  crown — showed  only  traces  of  silver-gray.  When 
I   came  in,  he   sat   in   his  favorite  attitude,  with  his  fat 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  17 

hands  clasped  over  his  round  stomach,  as  he  gazed, 
with  the  intensity  of  an  artist,  upon  the  figures  which 
a  lean  and  hungry  boy  was  continually  marking  up  on 
the  walls  of  a  blackboard,  which  covered  the  two  sides 
of  the  room,  the  register  of  the  stock  quotations  of  the 
world. 

There  was  a  great  table  in  the  center  of  the  room, 
littered  with  financial  reports,  and  newspapers  ;  a  clock- 
work machine — the  "ticker" — monotonously  turning, 
printing  stock  quotations  on  rapidly  unwinding  lengths 
of  white  tape,  stood  in  one  corner.  The  hieroglyphics 
printed  by  the  machine  are  read  from  moment  to 
moment,  from  ten  A.  M.  to  three  P.  M.,  all  over  the 
world,  by  grave  groups,  who  scan  the  register  of  the 
day's  proceedings  with  the  same  seriousness  that  people 
used  to  accord  to  the  utterances  of  the  Delphic  oracle. 
About  the  room  were  the  customers,  who  watched  the 
figures  on  the  wall  with  the  manner  of  professional 
gamblers  studying  the  movements  of  the  hands  of  the 
croupiers  at  Monte  Carlo.  The  whole  floor  of  the 
building  was  given  up  to  the  offices  of  J.  Musgrove  & 
Company.  It  was  divided  off  into  little,  compact  pens, 
each  lighted  by  incandescent  electric  lights.  The  great 
window  looking  into  Wall  street  was  filled  with  sheets 
of  money,  bonds,  ingots,  and  with  the  gold  of  all 
nations ;  next  to  this  array  of  money  stood  a  small 
army  of  bookkeepers,  who  toiled,  like  convicts  in  the 
galleys,  at  long  columns  of  figures,  not  daring  to  look 
up  during  the  rush  of  business  hours.  In  other  pens 
were  typewriters,  telegraph  operators,  private  secre- 
taries, associate  and  special  partners. 


1 8  THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 

There  were  also  a  number  of  special  pens  for  private 
conversation,  where  nervous  customers  could  be  taken 
in  quietly  and  soothed  when  the  market  was  going 
against  them,  and  where  they  could  be  bravely  patted 
on  the  back,  and  praised  for  their  courage,  and  told  to 
go  in  and  win  when  the  market  was  going  their  way. 
In  some  of  these  little  pens  strong  men  had  broken 
down  and  shed  tears  at  the  thought  of  the  fortune  that 
had  been  taken  from  them  through  the  mutations  of 
the  remorseless  ticker. 

Here  they  came,  old  and  young,  to  try  their  fortune, 
to  bet  boldly  or  timidly,  according  to  their  natures, 
upon  the  direction  in  which  the  erratic  market  would 
jump.  Musgrove  always  told  everybody  to  keep  away, 
and  when  a  new  customer  came  to  him,  he  invariably 
said  :  "  Don't  you  try  stocks  !"  It  was  observed  that 
the  customers  were  never  so  anxious  to  try  as  when 
Musgrove  advised  them  to  keep  away.  The  man  who 
wishes  to  burn  his  fingers  was  never  yet  deterred  by 
anything  in  the  form  of  advice ;  and  so,  when  the 
hollow-eyed  customer  came  up  to  settle  at  the  cashier's 
office,  and  sometimes  totter  away  to  penury  and  de- 
spair, it  was  an  edifying  spectacle  to  watch  James 
Musgrove,  as  he  stood  rattling  his  customer's  commis- 
sions in  the  deep  pockets  of  his  wide  trousers,  while  he 
called  out  after  him,  in  good-natured  accents  :  "  Re- 
member, I  told  you  to  keep  away  !"  And  his  "  Better 
luck  next  time  !"  was  a  miracle  of  art,  because  it  was 
this  hope  of  the  next  time  that  brought  each  one  back 
as  soon  as  he  could  scrape  together  the  wherewithal  to 
cover  the  margins  necessary  to   play  again,  the   beauti- 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE.  19 

ful  game  of  betting  what  the  uncertain  movement  of 
the  stock  quotation  machine  would  grind  out  next. 

Musgrove  looked  at  me  carelessly,  as  I  came  in,  and 
then,  having  nothing  very  much  to  do  for  the  moment, 
he  began  to  give  me  his  views  concerning  the  condition 
of  affairs  in  the  country,  which  was  his  way  of  being 
agreeable.  After  he  had  described  the  different  con- 
ditions  of  the  various  railroads  of  the  country,  and  the 
effect  upon  the  market  of  this  and  that  influence,  he 
walked  into  another  private  room,  where  I  followed 
him.  In  the  midst  of  his  talk  I  finally  interjected  this 
question  :  "  Did  you  know  this  Winsted  banker,  who 
disappeared  the  other  day  ?  " 

Musgrove  darted  a  sharp  look  at  me,  and  said  : 
"  Why  do  you  ask  that  ?  I  have  told  over  and  over 
again,  in  the  newspapers,  for  the  last  ten  days,  all  that 
I  know  about  him — and  more,  too." 

"  What  I  want  to  know  is  :  Did  you  have  intimate 
relations  with  him  ?  " 

Musgrove  was  no  longer  responsive. 

"  I  knew  him  as  I  knew  hundreds  of  others,  and  he 
used  to  come  in  here  very  often.  He  was  a  good 
customer." 

I  ventured  to  add  that  I  was  very  much  interested 
in  the  case,  and  I  was  curious  to  observe  that  Musgrove 
did  not  like  to  be  questioned  concerning  the  Connecti- 
cut man.  I  finally  said  :  "  I'm  interested  in  all  cases 
of  this  kind.     My  interest  is  only  general." 

I  fancied,  when  I  said  this,  that  Musgrove  looked 
slightly  relieved.  He  was  looking  at  me,  all  through 
this  conversation,  with  that  old,  hard  and  curious  look 


20 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 


that  I  used  to  see  when  he  thought  I  was  on  the  verge 
of  bringing  up  some  question  of  money.  This  look  of 
hardness  was  soon  followed  by  such  a  look  of  indiffer- 
ence that  I  was  repelled.  I  did  not  reach  a  point  in  the 
conversation  where  it  would  have  been  natural  for  me  to 


"**&*■    ■  \ . 


"  WHY    DO   TOU   ASK   THAT  ?" 


have  introduced  the  syndicate  theory.  It  takes  a  born 
fool,  or  a  diplomat  of  the  first  water,  to  take  up  an 
utterly  foreign  subject,  and  drag  it,  neck  and  heels,  into 
such  a  conversation,  without  some  kind  of  prelude. 

I  never  observed  Musgrove  so  closely  as  I  did  upon  this 
particular  occasion.    Some  inner  instinct  of  the  detective 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE.  21 

cautioned  me  to  scrutinize  his  every  feature,  as  I  had 
never  observed  him  before.  Every  detail  of  his  char- 
acteristic face  was  rephotographed  with  remarkable 
distinctness  upon  my  mind.  I  observed  that  under  his 
left  eye  there  were  three  little,  blue  powder-marks,  the 
result  of  an  accident  in  childhood.  Behind  his  right 
ear  was  a  small  mole,  in  the  shape  of  an  egg.  His 
hands  were  made  the  subject  of  my  most  minute 
attention.  The  left  hand  had  a  slight  scar,  running 
from  the  upper  knuckle  to  the  middle  of  the  hand. 
This  was  the  only  characteristic  mark,  outside  of  their 
intensely  individual  form.  They  were  very  short  and 
covered  with  the  hair  of  a  vigorous  type  of  man  ;  the 
nails  were  flat,  cut  very  short,  and  even  with  the  ends 
of  the  fingers,  giving  the  hands  a  very  blunt  appear- 
ance. 

My  sharp  scrutiny  appeared  to  make  him  nervous. 
He  said,  brusquely  :  "  What  in  the  devil  are  you  looking 
at  me  that  way  for  ?  " 

I  made  some  explanation  about  being  absent-minded, 
and  got  up  to  take  my  leave,  as  he  was  evidently 
anxious  either  to  be  alone,  or  to  take  up  some  other 
subject  of  more  interest  to  him  than  the  conversation 
of  the  casual  caller. 

When  I  rose  to  go,  his  old  heartiness  of  manner 
came  back.  He  got  up  with  a  rush,  shook  me  by  the 
hand  warmly,  and  invited  me  to  drop  in  and  see  him 
at  the  Colossus  Club  that  evening,  after  dinner.  "  This 
shop,  down  here,"  said  he,  "  is  really  no  place  for  a 
talk.  I've  got  some  literary  ideas  I  want  to  suggest  to 
you.     I  think  you   are   really  getting  careless  in  your 


22  THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 

style,  and  the  subjects  you  have  been  writing  about 
lately  are  not  new.  You're  losing  your  originality,  my 
boy."  This  kind  of  remark  was  not  new  to  me.  It 
was  a  part  of  the  engaging  manner  often  employed  by 
business  men,  to  endear  themselves  to  their  literary 
friends. 

I  left  Mr.  Musgrove's  office  at  three  o'clock.  The 
next  morning  all  the  papers  published,  with  great 
detail,  a  story  of  the  disappearance  of  James  Mus- 
grove.  This  brought  the  subject  of  mysterious  disap- 
pearances very  close  home.  I  will  not  give  the  details 
of  the  many  stories  circulated  about  Musgrove's  dis- 
appearance. No  two  of  the  theories  published  agreed, 
and  no  clue  was  then  found  showing  what  had  become 
of  him  after  leaving  his  banking-house  on  the  day  of 
my  call. 


23 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE    SENSATION     CREATED     BY     THE    DISAPPEARANCE 
OF    BANKER    MUSGROVE. 

The  sensation  created  by  the  disappearance  of  James 
Musgrove  was  very  great.  He  was  one  of  the  pillars 
of  the  Stock  Exchange.  His  absence  made  a  run  on 
his  bank.  Rumors  of  a  large  defalcation  were  put  in 
active  circulation.  All  the  stock  or  the  enterprises  in 
which  the  house  had  been  interested  were  freely  sold 
by  the  bears,  who  made  so  much  noise  and  excitement 
by  their  sale  of  these  securities,  that  they  nearly 
created  a  panic  on  the  Exchange.  They  soon  found 
the  missing  banker  had  left  his  house  in  an  absolutely 
sound  condition.  Every  obligation  presented  was 
promptly  met.  Musgrove  had  withdrawn  nothing 
from  the  firm  which  did  not  personally  belong  to  him. 
His  accounts  were  found  to  be  in  perfect  condition. 
The  reserve  was  ample  for  every  need,  showing  that 
the  banker's  absence,  if  continued,  would  not,  of 
necessity,  force  the  winding  up  of  the  affairs  of  the 
concern. 

The  public  interest  in  his  disappearance  was  greatly 
increased  when  it  was  found  that  there  was  no  apparent 
reason  for  his  going  away.  The  attention  of  the  public 
had  been  lightly  stirred  by  the  story  of  the  disappear- 
ance of  the  Winsted  banker.     The  disappearance  of  so 


24 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE 


prominent  a  New  York  banker,  in  an  equally  mysterious 
and  unexplainable  way,  fanned  the  curiosity  of  the 
easily  inflamed  New  York  public  to  a  high  pitch  of 
excitement.  The  newspapers  increased  this  by  invent- 
ing various  kinds   of  impossible  stories,   ranging  from 


^bhSe* 


HERE  TOU  ABE,   SIB  !     MYSTERIOUS  DISAPPEARANCE  ! 

scandal  to  crime.  One  particular  newspaper,  noted  for 
leading  all  others  in  its  audacity  of  inventions,  pre- 
tended to  have  discovered  the  plan  of  a  society  formed 
for  the  secret  assassination  of  bankers  and  people  of 
wealth.  I  was  made  the  subject  of  a  good  deal  of 
attention,  because  an  article  of  mine,  on  mysterious  dis- 
appearances   throughout     the     world,     had    appeared 


THK    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  25 

during  the  week,  in  the  Illustrated  Journal  of  Civiliza- 
tion. Of  course,  I  took  advantage  of  the  situation  in 
the  market  to  sell  my  wares.  However,  I  made  no 
reference  in  the  article  to  my  personal  knowledge  of 
Musgrove.  If  the  article  had  been  published  during 
an  ordinary  period,  it  would  not  have  attracted  more 
than  casual  notice.  Now,  it  gave  me,  temporarily, 
great  notoriety.  This  notoriety  brought  me  within 
the  visual  horizon  of  the  editor  of  The  Daily 
Wasp. 

A  reporter  of  this  newspaper  called  upon  me,  one  even- 
ing, at  my  club,  and  said  the  editor  wished  to  see  me. 
As  I  had  never  seen  him,  I  was  only  too  glad  to  accept 
the  invitation,  and  to  say  that  I  would  call  at  his  private 
office  at  twelve  o'clock  on  the  following  day.  I 
correctly  supposed  that  he  had  been  attracted  by  my 
notoriety,  the  only  qualification  necessary,  in  his  eyes, 
to  make  a  successful  writer  for  a  newspaper.  The 
latest  criminal,  and  the  freshest  subject  of  some  hide- 
ous scandal  are  considered  to-day  more  valuable  con- 
tributors, when  writing  over  their  own  signatures,  than 
the  ablest  professional  writers.  In  this  the  modern 
editor  shows  his  financial  genius.  An  article  on 
parental  affection,  by  a  young  man  who  had  murdered 
his  mother  because  she  would  not  lend  him  money  for 
drink,  had  recently  sent  the  circulation  of  The  Wasp  up 
several  thousand.  Its  editor  said,  over  and  over  again, 
that  no  member  of  the  editorial  staff  had  ever  written 
an  article  that  had  ever  given  the  paper  such  an  upward 
bound  in  circulation  as  this  filial  article,  which  bore  the 
address  of  Sing  Sing. 


26  THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 

I  was  prompt  in  my  appointment,  and  found  the 
editor  in  a  room,  fitted  up  with  some  attempt  at 
luxury  and  taste,  although  I  observed,  on  my  way  to  it, 
that  the  small  rooms  set  aside  for  the  use  of  the  writers 
were  rather  bare  of  furnishings  or  adornment.  It  is 
not  my  present  intention,  however,  to  try  to  describe 
the  interior  of  this  newspaper  office. 

When  I  entered  the  editor's  office,  he  was  giving 
final  instructions  to  a  reporter,  for  the  presiding  genius 
of  this  paper  interfered  with  every  department,  and 
called  it  supervision.  He  was  sending  this  reporter 
out  to  interview  a  widowed  mother,  whose  only  son 
had  just  been  arrested  for  some  crime. 

"  Be  sure  and  see  the  mother,"  roared  he,  "  and 
describe,  in  detail,  her  agony.  Count  her  tears,  and 
give  a  general  idea  of  their  size.  Such  descriptions  are 
greatly  relished  by  the  public.  If  she  does  not  break 
down  in  your  presence — and  people  have  a  strange  way 
of  controlling  themselves  when  in  the  presence  of  my 
reporters- — then  you  can  denounce  her  for  her  indif- 
ference and  coldness.  Be  sure  and  make  it  spicy,  and 
if  you  can  put  a  touch  of  humor  here  and  there  to 
lighten  the  thing,  don't  fail.     Now,  go  !  " 

I  shall  never  forget  the  hungry  look  that  came  upon 
his  face  when  he  turned  and  motioned  me  to  a  seat 
near  his  desk.  His  eyes  appeared  to  be  pointed  like 
gimlets,  and  as  if  seeking  to  bore  themselves  into  my 
brain  and  draw  out  something  to  make  palpitating 
copy.     He  said,  abruptly  : 

"  I  have  read  your  article  on  the  mysterious  disap- 
pearances throughout  the  world.     It  shows  great  orig- 


MY   GOD  !      AN    ORKJINAI,   IDEA?  Pagk    28. 


28  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

inality  and  study.  I  have  an  idea  that  you  did  not  put 
all  you  knew,  or  surmised,  into  that  article." 

"  No,  I  did  not." 

At  this,  the  editor  bounded  from  his  chair  with  ex- 
citement. No  foxhound  could  bay  louder  than  he, 
when  upon  the  faintest  trail  of  sensational  copy.  He 
now  looked  at  me  most  admiringly.  His  commercial 
instincts  approved  the  idea  of  writing  part,  and  holding 
back  the  most  valuable  portion,  to  be  sold  upon  a 
rising  market.  My  reasons,  however,  had  not  been 
commercial.  The  editor's  questions  were  now  as  abrupt 
as  so  many  pistol  shots. 

"  Have  you  any  real  news  about  Musgrove  ?  " 

"No." 

"  What  are  you  holding  back  ?  " 

"  A  good  story." 

"  A  news  story  ?  " 

"  No,  not  exactly,  but  a  possible  explanation ;  at 
least,  an  original  idea  concerning  it." 

"  My  God  !  An  original  idea  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  am  sure  of  its  originality." 

At  this,  he  abruptly  rang  a  bell,  and  sent  out  word 
that  he  was  not  to  be  disturbed  under  any  circumstances. 
He  then  turned  to  me,  with  great  nervous  anxiety,  and 
said  : 

"  If  you  have  an  original  idea,  I  want  to  buy  it.  An 
original  idea  is  worth  money.  I  boil  the  brains  of  the 
men  in  this  office  daily,  as  I  would  so  much  soap-fat, 
searching  for  an  original  idea.  Men  break  down, 
sometimes  die,  and  sometimes  are  discharged,  under 
my  brain-squeezing  process  of  searching  for  new  ideas. 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  20, 

I  offer  premiums  for  their  discovery,  and  discharge  for 
their  failure.  Sometimes  we  are  successful,  and  have 
a  nice  crop  of  really  good  ideas.  But  an  original  one 
— a  wholly  original  one — we  never  had."  Here  the 
editor  towered  above  me,  brandishing  a  check-book,  as 
he  fairly  howled  :  "  Don't  deceive  me  !  Out  with  it ! 
If  it  is  original,  I  will  pay  any  reasonable  sum  for  it." 

"To  speak  the  honest  truth,"  said  I,  "the  idea  is 
not  original  with  me." 

"  That  does  not  matter.  Have  you  got  it  with 
you  ?  " 

This  treatment  of  an  idea  as  an  article  of  merchan- 
dise made  a  profound  impression  upon  me.  It  was, 
after  all,  my  friend's  idea.  I  believed  he  was  entitled 
to  some  consideration,  if  this  idea  was  to  be  treated  as 
a  property.  I  said  something  like  this ;  but  the  editor 
waved  aside  the  suggestion  as  trivial — as  if  I  were 
trying  to  evade  his  desire.  My  reticence  stimulated 
him.     He  said  : 

"  Tell  me  really  what  the  whole  idea  is,  and,  if  it  is 
original,  I'll  give  you  five  thousand  dollars  for  it.  Then 
there  may  be  some  business  to  follow." 

Upon  this  assurance,  which  quite  took  my  breath 
away  with  its  magnificence,  I  outlined  the  idea  of  a 
disappearance  syndicate.     The  editor  was  in  raptures. 

"  I  call  that  an  original  idea,  at  last,"  said  he.  "  If 
I'd  had  that,  I'd  have  gotten  ten  thousand  dollars  for 
it.     I  don't  grudge  you  the  price." 

Here  he  tore  open  his  check-book  and  wrote  out  a 
check  for  five  thousand  dollars,  with  an  air  of  one 
to  whom  money  was  nothing.     Then,  when  I  told  him 


30  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

how  intimate  I  had  been  with  Musgrove,  and  how  I 
had,  by  chance,  studied  him  upon  the  very  day  of  his 
departure,  and  could  identify  him  under  any  disguise, 
he  went  into  further  raptures. 

"  I  believe  you  can  run  down  Musgrove.  You  know 
him.  Try  it.  The  story  of  a  disappearance  syndicate 
should  be  worked  up  with  great  detail,  and  should 
come  from  the  other  side  of  the  water,  to  give  it  pith 
and  point.  Of  course,  it  is  absurdly  impossible,  and 
will,  for  that  reason,  be  all  the  more  readily  believed. 
You  should  go  to  London  at  once.  It  would  be  well 
to  visit  Berlin  and  Paris,  also.  Musgrove  is  bound  to 
be  in  some  of  his  old  haunts  in  Europe.  Employ  the 
French  and  London  police.  Spend  money  freely.  If 
you  find  Musgrove,  use  the  cable  ;  if  you  don't,  elabo- 
rate the  disappearance  syndicate  idea.  Make  a  twenty- 
column  story.  Articles  in  my  paper  are  judged  en- 
tirely by  their  length,  the  only  test  of  true  merit. 
Send  it  over  by  mail,  and  we'll  mark  it  '  Special  cable.' 
How  soon  can  you  go  ?  " 

"  Right  away." 

"  You  have  no  special  preparations  to  make  ?  " 

"  None." 

"  I  like  that."  Here  the  editor  picked  up  a  speak- 
ing-tube, marked  "  Cashier,"  and  called  out :  "  Send  me 
up  one  hundred  pounds,  English  money.  When  is  the 
next  European  steamer  ?  " 

"  The  '  New  York  '  sails  at  three  this  afternoon," 
came  back  through  the  tube. 

In  a  few  moments,  up  came  a  package  of  crisp 
English  bank-notes.     I  soon  had  the  value  of  my  check 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  31 

in  my  inside  pocket.  It  had  been  changed  to  a 
draft  on  London.  It  was  now  two  o'clock.  The  cab 
was  called.  I  had  still  a  few  moments,  as  it  was  not 
over  a  twenty  minutes'  drive  to  the  "  New  York's  " 
pier.     So,  as  I  turned  to  go,  the  editor  said  : 

"  Try  hard  to  think  of  a  new  idea  on  your  way  over, 
and  cable  it  from  Queenstown.  Think  of  all  the  time 
you'll  have  going  over."  This  last  was  said  with  an 
air  of  intense  regret ;  his  mind  was  poisoned  by  the 
thought  that,  for  at  least  five  days,  I  would  be  out  of 
his  reach,  where  he  could  not  ply  me  with  questions. 

As  I  rose  to  go,  he  still  devoured  me  with  his 
hungry,  unhappy  gaze,  as  if  he  were  in  doubt  whether 
he  had  gotten  all  he  could  out  of  me.  He  had  no 
doubt  concerning  the  correctness  of  his  investment. 
In  such  bargains  his  genius  never  wavered  when  he  had 
once  marked  out  a  course.  He  said,  after  a  moment's 
thought : 

"  I'll  send  two  reporters  down  with  you  to  the 
steamer.  You  might  have  an  idea  on  your  way  down. 
And  I'll  direct  the  city  editor  to  put  a  basket  of  carrier- 
pigeons  on  the  cab.  You  may  have  an  idea  on  the 
way  out  through  the  Narrows,  and  if  you  have,  you  can 
send  it  back  by  them.  Now,  good-by,  and  do  your 
best !  " 

Up  to  this  time  he  had  acted  with  the  force  and 
rapidity  of  a  great  man  of  affairs.  There  had  been  no 
feebleness  nor  hesitation.  Now  he  looked  almost 
pathetic.  His  investment  was  about  to  move  out  of 
range  of  communication. 

"  Cable  me  the  moment  you  arrive,"  said  he.    "  Send 


32  THE   DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 

a  cable  address  as  soon  as  you  get  to  London.  Report 
something  every  night." 

At  last  I  got  away.  It  was  now  half-past  two.  I 
dashed  into  the  waiting  cab,  with  two  reporters  at  my 
heels.  The  fire  and  fury  of  the  editorial  director  yet 
stimulated  the  pulsations  of  my  heart,  which  throbbed 
with  comfortable  rapidity  against  the  book  containing 
the  five-thousand-dollar  draft.  In  the  fire  and  force  of 
his  intense,  dominating  individuality,  I  had  overlooked 
all  else  ;  and  now,  I,  caught  in  the  clutches  of  The  Wasp, 
was  suddenly  being  fired,  as  from  a  catapult,  towards 
Europe,  without  any  previous  thought  or  preparation. 
But  the  dominating  thought  was  that,  at  last,  I  was 
authorized  and  financially  backed  for  the  purpose  of 
investigating  my  favorite  subject — a  mystery.  To  hunt 
for  James  Musgrove  was  a  fascinating  task,  and  I 
shouted  words  of  encouragement  to  the  cab-driver,  as 
he  lashed  his  horse  down  the  side  streets,  over  the 
rough  pavement  and  boxes  and  garbage  of  lower  New- 
York,  deftly  dodging  street  blockades,  until  we  reached 
the  dock,  just  as  they  were  beginning  to  haul  in  the 
gangways  to  the  steamer. 

I  mounted  the  last  gangway,  breathless  and  perspir- 
ing, just  as  it  was  beginning  to  move  in.  I  waved  my 
hat  to  the  reporters,  who  cheered  me  as  they  cried  : 
"  We  will  tell  the  old  man  you  made  it." 

Five  minutes  later  the  "  City  of  New  York"  cast 
loose  her  moorings  and  was  towed  out  into  the  stream. 
Fifteen  minutes  later  she  was  turned  about,  and  was 
running  free  down  the  Narrows,  under  the  blazing  sun 
of  an  early  June  afternoon. 


33 


CHAPTER  IV. 

SEARCHING  THROUGH  EUROPE  FOR  JAMES  MUSGROVE. 

Eight  days  after  I  was  in  London.  From  now  on  I 
moved  in  the  atmosphere  of  turmoil  and  unrest  of 
those  who  serve,  even  for  the  shortest  time,  a  daily 
newspaper.  Cablegrams  came  to  me  at  all  hours  of 
the  night,  at  my  lodgings  in  Half-Moon  street.  When- 
ever I  thought  I  had,  by  some  long  and  toilsome  day, 
earned  the  right  to  have  a  good  rest,  "bang!"  would 
go  the  knocker,  and  in  would  come  a  buttoned  boy 
with  a  blue-lined  cablegram,  covered  with  frenzied 
words,  asking  for  the  latest  news.  The  night  I  arrived 
in  London,  before  I  had  fairly  entered  my  room,  a 
cablegram  came  to  me,  asking  how  my  search  was 
coming  on.  This  feverish  intensity  of  pursuit  made 
me,  at  times,  wild.  My  peace  of  life  was  now  gone ; 
but  I  could  not  go  back.  I  had  taken  a  fee,  and  had 
made  the  engagement  to  try  and  perform  a  certain 
task.  Then  my  own  curiosity  was  a  powerful  stimu- 
lant. I  made  no  attempt  to  call  in  the  aid  of  the 
police.  I  knew  that  the  best  police  of  Europe  had 
been  already  engaged  by  the  private  inquiries  of  the 
Musgrove  family. 

I  knew  that  Musgrove  was  very  fond  of  London,  and 
that,  when  he  lived  in  Paris,  he  had  a  frequent  habit  of 
coming  over  to  the   English  capital,  upon  some   finan- 


34  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

cial  pretext.  In  my  occasional  visits  to  London  I  had 
repeatedly  met  him.  His  habit,  when  there,  was  to 
occupy  himself  with  financial  affairs  down  in  the  city 
during  the  day,  while,  when  evening  came,  he  was 
nearly  always  to  be  found  in  some  music-hall,  with  a 
group  of  lively  friends,  usually  winding  up  with  a  sup- 
per at  the  Hotel  Continental.  He  could  not  go  about 
in  any  of  his  old  haunts  of  London  without  being 
observed  by  some  of  his  former  friends.  But,  from 
sporting  companion  to  the  liveliest  and  shrewdest  of 
the  barmaids,  I  could  find  no  word  of  him.  He  had 
not  been  seen.  He  was  remembered,  because  he  had 
spent  his  money  so  freely,  and  was  such  a  consumer  of 
champagne. 

I  searched  carefully  through  the  leading  cities  of 
Europe  for  six  months,  coming  back,  from  time  to 
time,  to  London.  I  was  an  humble,  but  observant, 
member  of  the  various  sporting  circles,  where  member- 
ship is  not  difficult,  and  where  Musgrove  had  been  so 
prominent  ;  but  I  found  nothing  remotely  bearing  upon 
my  search.  It  was  clear  that  I  was  to  find  nothing  in 
London  ;  but,  if  he  was  not  there,  where  could  he  have 
gone  ?  His  inability  to  speak  the  French  language,  in 
a  manner  even  approaching  ease  or  correctness,  would 
have  made  his  concealment  in  Paris  as  difficult  as  in  a 
small  village,  so  limited  is  the  English-speaking  colony 
there,  and  so  closely  is  it  observed  by  the  curious 
French.  Musgrove  could  hardly  appear  in  Paris  with- 
out being  noted  by  the  French  police,  so  well  was  he 
known  to  them  through  his  previous  life  in  that  city. 
I  knew  that  he   hated   small  towns,  and  would  as  soon 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE.  35 

think  of  committing  suicide  as  to  bury  himself  in  any 
rural  obscurity.  As  I  knew  him,  he  would  be  wretched 
off  the  pavement  of  a  great  capital,  and  could  only  find 
perfect  rest  in  a  whirl  of  excitement.  If  he  was  not  to 
be  unearthed  in  London,  then  it  was  evident  that  he 
had  not  gone  away  of  his  own  free  will,  or  had  found 
some  new  center  of  interest,  outside  of  the  calculations 
which  I  could  make,  based  upon  my  previous  knowl- 
edge of  him. 

I  will  pass  over  the  violent  letters  and  cablegrams 
which  I  constantly  received  from  The  Wasp,  and  keep, 
as  near  as  I  can,  to  the  thread  of  my  narrative  relating 
to  my  search. 

Six  months  after  my  arrival  in  London  I  made  a 
valuable  acquaintance.  I  met  him  at  Warwick  during 
a  lazy  trip  of  two  days  that  I  had  deliberately  taken 
to  free  myself  from  worry  over  the  cablegrams  from 
The  Wasp. 

My  new  acquaintance  was  Lord  Robert  Melrose,  the 
youngest  son  of  the  Duke  of  Wex.  Melrose's  title 
was  a  courtesy  one,  and  several  lives  stood  between 
him  and  the  succession.  He  was  seated  near  me, 
the  evening  after  my  arrival,  in  the  coffee-room  of  the 
Warwick  Arms,  and  we  fell  into  conversation  together. 
He  was  in  the  neighborhood  of  thirty  years  of  age.  He 
was  a  fresh-colored  blonde,  with  a  smooth  shaven  face 
and  close-cropped  hair.  He  had  traveled  enough,  as 
I  found  later,  to  wear  away  some  of  the  prejudices  of 
the  average  Briton.  He  had  a  pleasant  voice,  a  quiet 
manner,  and  an  insatiable  curiosity  concerning  out-of- 
the-way  things,  which  soon  proved  a  bond  between  us. 


36  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

We  returned  to  London  together,  and  on  our  way 
back  I  told  him  about  my  search  for  Musgrove,  and 
asked  him  what  he  thought  of  the  theory  of  a  disap- 
pearance syndicate. 

"  I  have  traveled  too  much,  and  have  seen  too  many 
surprising  things,  to  regard  anything  as  impossible,  or 
really  improbable,"  he  replied.  "  I  would  not  have 
you  think  me  foolishly  credulous.  I  simply  avoid 
belief  or  disbelief,  when  an  incident  occurs  or  a  theory 
comes  up,  until  I  can  have  sufficient  facts  to  warrant  a 
judgment.  I  am  sure  I  can  find  out  if  your  friend 
Musgrove  is  in  London.  Have  you  anything  that 
formerly  belonged  to  him,  any  picture  ?  " 

"  No,  I  have  no  picture.  I  left  New  York  too  sud- 
denly to  go  through  my  personal  effects.  I  may  have 
had  there  some  scrap  of  his  handwriting." 

"  Well,  if  he  is  in  London,  I  can  find  him  for  you." 

At  the  time,  I  asked  for  no  explanation  of  this  posi- 
tive assurance,  as  we  were  just  arriving  at  the  Padding- 
ton  Station.  Lord  Robert  drove  with  me  to  my 
lodgings,  where  he  took  a  bedroom,  opening  into  my 
sitting-room,  which  we  agreed  to  share  in  common. 
We  returned  upon  a  Sunday  afternoon.  That  evening, 
after  dining  very  well,  and  very  late,  at  the  Cafe  Royal, 
we  walked  up  Regent  street,  and  then  followed  the 
cross-street  which  leads  across  Bond  street  to  the 
Victoria  Gallery.  I  had  been  for  some  time  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Gallery  Club,  where  the  leading  men 
of  society,  politics,  art,  literature,  and,  in  fact,  of 
every  walk  of  intellectual  life,  met  on  Sunday  even- 
ings  during  the   social   season.     The    hall    where   the 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  ^J 

club  meetings  were  held  was  a  large  one,  used  for  the 
display  of  the  pictures  of  a  great  society  of  modern 
painters.  This  hall  was  brilliantly  lighted,  and  adorned 
with  some  of  the  best  and  noblest  examples  of  modern 
art.  During  the  meetings  of  the  club,  refreshments 
were  served  in  this  room,  and  opportunities  given  for 
intimate  conversation.  A  small  stage  was  always 
brought  in  for  the  Sunday  evening  gatherings.  Upon 
this  stage  there  came,  by  invitation,  the  leading  per- 
sonages of  the  higher  amusement  world  of  London. 
About  the  hall  were  numerous  small  tables,  and  easy- 
chairs,  and  cigars  and  drinks  of  all  kinds  were  served 
by  grave  and  decorous  waiters.  The  guests  wore  even- 
ing dress,  this  requirement  being  imperative.  Up- 
wards of  two  hundred  members  were  always  to  be  found 
at  these  gatherings,  and  at  times  the  attendance  would 
be  nearly  doubled,  if  some  unusual  lion  was  to  appear. 
No  one  was  obliged  to  listen  to  the  slight  and  irregular 
programme  offered  on  the  stage.  Those  who  were 
not  interested  generally  withdrew  to  the  side  rooms, 
but,  as  the  entertainment  always  embraced  the  striking 
features  of  what  was  interesting  London  that  week, 
the  audience  chamber  was  generally  well  filled. 


38 


CHAPTER  V. 

A   REMARKABLE  EVENING  AT  THE  VICTORIA  GALLERY 

CLUB. 

We  arrived  at  the  hour  of  midnight.  It  was  the 
beginning  of  the  evening,  so  far  as  the  entertainment 
was  concerned.  As  Ave  took  a  small  table  near  the 
stage,  and  ordered  the  usual  brandy  and  soda,  with  dry 
cigars  and  Egyptian  cigarettes,  Madame  Flora,  the 
prima  donna  of  the  Drury  Lane  Theatre,  was  just  finish- 
ing an  aria  in  a  style  as  brilliant  as  she  was  beautiful. 
As  she  swept  off  the  stage,  escorted  by  an  attentive 
member  of  the  committee  on  entertainment,  there  was 
the  usual  wait  and  idle  conversation. 

"  I  think  the  next  number  will  interest  you,"  said 
Lord  Robert,  with  significant  meaning.  He  then 
added,  "  You  have  been  so  busy  in  hunting  your  hobby 
that  you  may  not  have  heard  of  the  latest  London  lion, 
Mortimer  Mortimer." 

"  Who  is  Mortimer  Mortimer  ?  " 

"  That's  what  everybody  asks." 

"  What  is  he,  a  circus  manager,  poet,  escaped  assas- 
sin, reformer,  or  a  philanthropist  ?  " 

"  You'll  see  him  on  the  stage  in  a  few  moments, 
and  when  he's  gone  I'll  ask  you  what  you,  yourself, 
think.  He  has  made  polite  London  fairly  mad, 
although  he  is  seen  in   only  the   greatest   and  most  ex- 


m  fi 


w 


m*v 


'MADAME   FLORA   WAS   JUST   FINISHING    AN   AKIA."      l'*GK 


40  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

elusive  houses.  My  friend  here,  at  my  left,  saw  him 
at  the  Duke  of  Devonshire's  the  other  night,  and  he 
can  talk  of  nothing  else.  Ah,  there  he  is,  if  I  can  judge 
correctly  by  the  attention  of  my  friend.  Yes,  he  nods 
to  my  silent  question.     It  is  he." 

I  now  turned  to  the  stage,  which  was  only  raised 
about  two  feet  above  the  floor  of  the  hall.  It  was 
bare  of  all  theatrical  paraphernalia.  The  only  articles 
of  furniture  were  a  few  chairs  and  a  small  table,  upon 
which  stood  a  vase  of  roses. 

The  room  was  filled  with  the  representative  gentle- 
men of  England. 

The  clear  light  of  the  hall  revealed  the  intellectual 
faces  of  the  leaders  of  men  in  one  of  the  most  refined 
societies  in  the  great  capital  of  the  civilized  world.  It 
was  an  audience  not  to  be  trifled  with,  as  its  disap- 
proval would  have  been  sufficient  to  ruin  the  most 
ambitious  social  lion. 

There  was  never  a  printed  programme  of  the  ex- 
ercises on  this  stage.  You  were  supposed  to  know  all 
about  the  people  who  appeared.  Explanations  or 
introductions  were  never  made. 

As  I  looked  at  the  stage  there  stepped  upon  it  a 
man  of  medium  height,  who  came  to  the  front  of  the 
platform,  with  an  ease  and  composure  that  commended 
him,  at  once,  to  the  favorable  attention  of  his  audi- 
ence. He  appeared  to  be  in  middle  life,  but  to  have  no 
particular  age.  His  figure  was  slight;  his  face  was 
brown  in  color,  very  clear,  and  regular  in  its  features, 
and  smooth  shaven.  His  hair  was  straight  and  dark, 
cut  to   a  medium   length,   and  parted   exactly  in   the 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE.  41 

center,  from  his  very  broad,  full  forehead.  His  eyes 
were  intensely  black,  penetrating,  and  gleaming  with  a 
steely  light.  His  hands  were  lean,  long  and  indicative 
of  great  nervous  force.  There  was  a  look  of  calmness 
and  power  upon  his  face. 

He  came  swiftly  to  the  front  of  the  stage  and,  with 
his  hands  locked  before  him,  gazed  calmly  at  the  audi- 
ence for  several  moments  without  speaking.  His 
evening  dress  bore  no  sign  of  ornament.  No  jewel  of 
the  tiniest  character  showed  in  his  snowy  linen.  The 
white  cravat  at  his  throat  accentuated  the  dark  color  of 
his  stern-lined  face.  As  he  looked  intently  at  his 
audience,  made  up  of  cynical  men  of  the  world,  the 
most  difficult  of  all  to  impress  by  any  ordinary  means, 
while  they  are,  at  the  same  time,  extremely  responsive 
to  the  evidences  of  actual  power,  he  soon  demonstrated 
his  right  to  be  considered  a  leader.  Before  he  had 
said  one  word,  the  audience  fairly  thrilled  with  ex- 
pectation, and  the  hall  was  strangely  silent.  Here  and 
there  blue  clouds  of  smoke,  puffed  by  nervous  smokers, 
curled  and  eddied  upwards  in  the  shining  glare  of  the 
electric  lights. 

The  occupant  of  the  stage,  who  came  in  alone  and 
unannounced,  understood  his  audience.  He  made  no 
gesture,  and  no  change,  even  of  attitude,  as  he  began 
to  talk.  His  voice  was  low-keyed,  serious  in  its  accents, 
and  so  carefully  modulated  that  every  syllable  was 
heard  throughout  the  room,  although  he  never  de- 
parted from  the  conversational  tone,  and  carefully 
avoided  all  oratorical  phrasing. 

As  nearly  as  I  can  remember,  he  said  :  "  I  am  here 


42  THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 

this  evening  through  the  kind  invitation  of  your  en- 
tertainment committee.  I  wish  to  talk  to  you  about 
the  natural,  although  some  accuse  me  of  dealing  with 
the  supernatural.  I  will  make  one  experiment  to 
illustrate  an  idea,  and  then  I  will  have  the  honor  of 
bidding  you  good  night.  I  assume  that  I  will  have, 
during  the  few  moments  that  I  am  here,  your  un- 
divided attention,  and  I  trust,  that  when  I  reach  the 
point  where  the  experiment  is  to  be  made,  that  no 
word  or  sound  will  be  uttered.  I  make  this  request 
solely  in  the  interest  of  the  success  of  the  experiment." 

If  possible,  the  attention  of  the  audience  deepened. 
There  was  a  tension  in  the  regard  concentrated  upon 
the  speaker  that  was  dangerous.  If  anything  ordinary 
were  now  to  follow,  he  would  simply  become  an  object 
of  polite  ridicule. 

The  speaker  now  continued  :  "  You  are,  of  course, 
aware  of  all  that  modern  science  has  done  in  defining 
some  of  the  primary  possibilities  of  animal  magnetism. 
I  will  allude  to  one  only  of  the  recent  experiments,  in 
Paris,  of  the  great  Dr.  Charcot.  You,  doubtless,  have 
heard  of  his  celebrated  sensitive,  Leonie.  The  .learned 
doctor,  in  his  notes  upon  this  case,  calls  attention  to 
the  fact  that  in  Leonie  there  have  been  developed 
three  separate  sub-consciousnesses,  each  distinct,  in- 
dividual and  critical  of  the  other.  Now,  it  is  among 
the  possibilities  of  this  science  that  the  sub-conscious- 
ness, that  is  the  best  in  one,  may,  by  cultivation,  be 
made  more  prominent  and  be  given  permanent  con- 
trol. Who  is  there  who  really  knows  himself  ?  Who 
is  satisfied  with   what  he   is   doing  ?     What   is   it  that 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  43 

directs  our  thoughts  so  often  to  other  fields  of  occupa- 
tion ?  Is  it  not  the  shadow  of  some  subdued  sub- 
consciousness seeking  supremacy  ?  But  I  have  no  idea 
of  making  an  address  upon  the  subtleties  of  this  ques- 
tion. I  will  simply  content  myself  with  making  an  ex- 
periment which  will  show  you  the  advancement  that 
the  science  of  animal  magnetism  has  made.  I  do  this 
for  the  purpose  of  impressing  upon  you  the  importance 
of  the  power  that  can  be  awakened  by  one  who  has 
given  the  subject  some  attention,  and  has  been  fortu- 
nate enough  to  have  reached  results  which  appear,  only 
to  the  ignorant,  as  supernatural."  Here  the  speaker 
paused  a  moment,  and  then,  in  the  same  quiet  key,  but 
with  an  increasing  gravity  of  manner,  continued  : 

"  I  believe  no  one,  however  perfect  an  adept  in 
hypnotism,  has  ever  assumed  to  put  into  the  magnetic 
sleep  or  under  the  magnetic  influence,  more  than  one 
subject  at  a  time.  Now,  I  shall,  within  the  next  five 
minutes,  establish  such  relations  with  this  assembly  as 
to  make  all  here  present  see  something  I  wish  them  to 
see,  and  to  hear  something  that  I  wish  them  to  hear.  In 
a  word,-  while  you  Avill  not  pass  into  the  magnetic  sleep 
— which  is  one  of  the  lowest  forms  of  the  evidences  of 
the  power  of  hypnotism — you  will,  however,  surrender 
your  will  for  the  moment  utterly  to  mine.  I  shall  ask 
you  not  to  speak  or  move  for  thirty  seconds  to  follow." 

There  was  no  sound  of  dissent.  Every  one  present 
desired  perfectly  fair  play,  and  the  simple  condition 
demanded  was  conceded  as  a  matter  of  course. 

The  speaker  now  waved  his  right  hand  and  disclosed 
a  shining   ball,   about   the    size   of   an    Italian    orange. 


44  THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 

It  was  too  large  to  be  a  jewel,  while  it  was  translucent, 
and  reflected  light  with  the  brilliancy  of  a  diamond. 
Mortimer  stepped  back  one  step  and  held  the  ball 
above  his  head.  His  voice  now  became  more  measured, 
and  took  on  the  chanting  tone  of  a  priest  reading  the 
ritual.  "  Look  on  this  ball  and  study  its  shining 
beauties,"  said  he.  The  ball  glowed  with  a  mystic  fire, 
as  every  other  light  in  the  room  was  dimmed.  In  a 
second  a  great  cloud  of  darkness  swept  through  the 
room,  with  a  faint  odor  of  incense  following  in  its  wake. 
"  Listen  to  the  music,"  now  chanted  the  voice,  which 
had  an  impersonal  sound.  It  seemed,  at  this  moment, 
to  come  direct  from  the  center  of  the  moving  cloud  of 
darkness.  As  the  voice  became  silent,  the  distant  notes 
of  a  great  organ  were  heard,  then  a  far-away  chorus  of 
pure  voices  chanting  a  lofty  hymn  of  praise.  This 
continued  for  a  moment,  and  then  there  was  silence. 
The  clouds  cleared,  the  lights  came  back,  and  the 
normal  conditions  of  the  hall  were  restored.  As  the 
darkness  lifted,  the  brilliancy  of  the  ball  held  in 
Mortimer's  hands  faded  until  the  clear  translucence 
was  gone,  and  it  became  a  dark,  dull,  unreflecting  globe. 

Mortimer  now  thanked  the  audience  for  its  attention 
and  its  civility  in  complying  with  his  conditions. 

"  You  have,"  said  he,  "  just  had  a  proof  of  the 
hypnotic  power  in  its  highest  form.  This  entire  audi- 
ence was  for  a  moment  under  the  influence  of  will 
power.  You  were  all  made  to  see  light  in  a  ball  of 
dense,  non-luminous  carbon.  The  lights  in  the  hall 
went  out,  to  your  eyes,  although  they  were  bright  and 
shining  all  the  time.     You  heard  music,  because  it  was 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  45 

willed  that  you  should.     It  was  all  a  deception  of  your 
senses  through  the  control  of  your  imagination.'' 

Mortimer  Mortimer  was  about  to  bow  and  retire,  when 
the  Duke  of  Wex  rose  in  the  audience  and  begged  per- 
mission to  ask  one  question  of  the  occupant  of  the  stage, 
before  his  departure.  The  Duke  was  a  tall,  gallant- 
looking  gentleman  with  resolute,  aquiline  features,  and 
a  smoothly  shaven  face,  surmounted  by  a  thick  mass  of 
closely-cropped  white  hair.  His  voice  was  pleasant 
and  even,  while  his  manner  in  addressing  Mortimer 
was  the  perfection  of  civility.  He  said:  "  I,  for  one, 
have  been  profoundly  interested  in  what  you  have  said 
and  done,  but,  in  the  interests  of  the  experiment  itself, 
will  you  permit  a  committee  to  examine  the  ball  you 
have  in  your  hand  ?  " 

There  was  a  decided  stir  in  the  audience  at  this 
pointed  request,  but  Mortimer  was  not  at  all  disturbed 
by  it.  He  replied :  "  There  is  no  necessity  for  a 
formal  committee.  If  you  will  come  forward  to  the 
stage  I  will  place  the  ball  in  your  hands,  and,  with 
your  assistance,  make  one  more  experiment,  which 
may  prove  as  interesting  to  you  as  the  one  just  made. 
It  is  needless  to  repeat  that  I  shall  require  the  same 
conditions — attention  and  silence." 

There  was  again  the  same  profound  attention  when 
the  Duke  of  Wex  stepped  upon  the  stage.  As  he  faced 
Mortimer,  the  latter  said,  before  handing  over  the  ball 
for  inspection  : 

"  There  is  a  curious  property  about  this  ball.  When 
it  is  in  your  hand  I  shall  become  invisible  to  you, 
though  visible   to   the   audience,  so   please   make  your 


46  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

personal  inspection  of  it  as  it  lies  in  my  hand  and  be- 
fore I  hand  it  to  you." 

The  strangest  thing  about  this  new  situation  was 
that  no  one  of  us  now  questioned  Mortimer's  ability  to  do 
what  he  proposed.  Neither  was  there  any  surprise  mani- 
fested. The  Duke  adjusted  his  eyeglasses  and  advanced 
toward  Mortimer,  and  bent  over  the  ball.  As  he 
looked  intently  at  it,  Mortimer  said  to  him  : 

"  Will  you  kindly  report  to  the  audience  its  appear- 
ance ?  " 

At  this  request  the  Duke  appeared  to  be  puzzled. 
He  said  : 

"  As  I  look  at  the  ball  I  observe  that  it  has  again 
become  translucent,  filled  with  light,  and  if  it  were  a 
diamond  it  could  not  be  purer  and  more  beautiful.  As 
I  look  at  it  I  am  conscious  of  a  feeling  of  keen  pleasure  ; 
its  perfection  is  so  complete,  if  one  can  use  an  adjec- 
tive in  connection  with  such  a  word.  More  than  this, 
there  appears  to  be  an  interior  life  underneath  the 
forms  of  light.  The  ball  seems  to  be  the  orb  of  some- 
thing living.  Ah,  I  now  see  a  vista  of  distant  moun- 
tains ;  a  change  has  come  ;  it  is  as  if  I  were  gazing 
through  the  reverse  end  of  a  telescope  ;  what !  gentle- 
men, I  give  you  my  word  of  honor,  I  am  now  looking 
upon  a  reduced  picture  of  my  place  in  Scotland." 

To  all  else  in  the  room  the  ball  had  not  changed, 
while  it  was  clear  that  the  Duke  simply  saw  what 
Mortimer  willed  him  to  see.  The  latter  now  handed 
the  ball  to  the  Duke.  Instantly,  there  was  a  look  of 
almost  agonized  surprise  on  the  nobleman's  face,  as  he 
stood  staring  at  Mortimer,  as  if  at  vacancy. 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  47 

"  It  is  true,"  said  he,  "  that  with  the  ball  in  my  hand 
Mr.  Mortimer  has  gone."  Then  he  exclaimed  :  "  The 
ball  is  no  longer  clear.  It  is  black,  dense  and  dull,  and 
has  the  appearance  of  being  a  globe  of  pure  carbon." 

The  scene  lasted  but  half  a  moment,  when  Mortimer 
stepped  up  quietly  and  took  back  the  ball,  thrusting  it 
in  one  of  his  pockets.  The  Duke  appeared  to  be  under 
the  influence  of  some  great  excitement.  He  advanced 
to  Mortimer  and  had  a  low,  hurried  word  with  him, 
and  then  he  returned  to  his  seat  in  the  hall,  where  he 
sat  down  buried  in  a  profound  study.  There  was  no 
demonstration  or  applause  of  any  sort ;  but  when 
Mortimer  bowed  and  retired  there  was  a  low  buzz  of 
conversation,  showing  that  the  last  number  of  the  pro- 
gramme had  had  the  unusual  success  of  becoming  the 
prevailing  topic  of  conversation  in  one  of  the  least 
curious  circles  in  London. 


•STUDY    ITS    SHINING    BEAUTIES  !  "      Page     44. 


49 


CHAPTER   VI. 

LORD    ROBERT'S   THEORY    FOR    THE     EXPLANATION    OF 
THE    CHARACTER    OF    MORTIMER    MORTIMER. 

As  we  walked  home,  about  half-past  one  in  the 
morning,  Lord  Robert  said  to  me  : 

"  I  think  I  have  found  out  something  that  draws 
nearer  to  your  disappearance  syndicate.  I  will  give 
you  one  surmise,  and  that  is  that  Mortimer  Mortimer 
could  possibly  tell  you  where  you  could  find  James 
Musgrove." 

When  I  arrived  at  our  lodgings,  in  Half-Moon  street, 
I  asked  my  friend  if  he  did  not  think  it  was  about 
time  for  him  to  explain  himself.  His  half-hint  had 
suggested  that  he  had  some  knowledge,  or,  at  least, 
some  suspicion,  concerning  the  subject  which  was  of 
so  much  interest  to  me. 

When  we  were  once  in  our  sitting-room,  with  the 
nearly-dead  fire  restored  to  a  blaze  by  judicious  nurs- 
ing, and  our  pipes  lighted,  I  took  up  the  subject  of  the 
evening's  entertainment,  for  the  purpose  of  drawing 
him  out,  if  possible.  But  Lord  Robert  began  to  speak 
at  once  of  Mortimer  Mortimer.  It  appeared  that  he 
had  heard  of  him  for  some  time.  In  the  higher  circles, 
where  Mortimer  was  occasionally  seen,  it  was  faintly 
surmised  that  he  was  some  great  social  reformer,  the 
chief  of  some  strong  association,  or,  at  least,  a  daring 


5<D  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

investigator  of  problems  of   unusual  interest   to   man- 
kind. 

"  Whence  the  idea  came,"  said  Lord  Robert,  "that  he 
was  at  the  head  of  some  great  organization,  I  do  not 
know.  I  have  heard  it  several  times,  though  no  one 
has  professed  to  know  anything  positive.  In  Russia, 
several  years  ago,  I  joined  a  secret  society.  Its  objects 
were,  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the  word,  non-political. 
The  chief  aim  of  the  society  was  to  cultivate  fraternal 
relations  in  the  world  ;  to  eliminate,  as  far  as  possible, 
purely  selfish  interests  from  the  relations  of  men — in 
other  words,  to  teach  and  propagate  the  doctrine  of 
Christ :  to  love  one's  neighbor  as  one  loves  himself. 
All  that  there  was  to  religion  that  had  any  value,  the 
society  held,  was  to  be  found  in  that  principle.  I  am 
still  a  member  of  that  society,  and  know  its  methods, 
which  are  most  commendable. 

'  Soon  after  I  joined  I  was  called  home  by  my 
father,  and  was  given  a  civil  appointment  in  India.  I 
was,  however,  an  active  member  of  the  organization 
long  enough  to  learn  its  signs  and  its  language.  I 
knew,  also,  that  the  society  that  received  me  was  only 
an  elementary  one,  and  that,  somewhere  in  the  world, 
there  was  a  great  central  society,  presided  over  by  a 
master,  who  wielded  a  vast  power,  and  whose  great 
abilities  were  concentrated  upon  the  work  of  raising 
the  standard  of  human  achievements.  It  is  a  poor 
commentary  upon  our  civilization  that,  with  all  our 
wealth  and  intelligence,  we  have  not  been  more  suc- 
cessful in  eliminating  poverty,  destitution,  and  their 
consequent  suffering  from  the  world.     It  will  not  do  to 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE.  51 

talk  learnedly  about  the  laws  of  nature,  and  the  laws 
of  supply  and  demand,  in  explanation  of  our  defaults 
in  this  direction.  If  the  well-to-do,  the  strong  and  the 
powerful  were  really  banded  together  in  a  true,  frater- 
nal bond,  then,  when  a  weak  brother  fell  in  the  race  of 
life,  he  would  find  some  encouraging  hand  to  help  him, 
and  we  should  not  have  the  continual  retrograding 
tendency  of  the  poorer  sections  of  humanity. 

"  Have  you  ever  studied  the  faces  of  the  crowds 
that  come  out  of  the  poor  quarters  in  the  great  cities 
of  the  world  ?  Have  you  not  noticed  the  sullen 
savagery,  the  seeming  brutishness  of  the  greater  num- 
ber? It  is  in  such  quarters  that  the  race  becomes  de- 
based— through  hideous  surroundings,  foul  atmos- 
phere, criminal  contiguity,  and  poor  nourishment — 
until  we  have  crimes  of  the  most  terrifying  nature,  and 
criminals  so  hideous  in  character  as  to  create  a  shudder 
at  the  mere  sight  of  them.  These  criminals  can  be 
charged  entirely  to  the  selfishness  of  men.  It  is  too 
long  a  story  to  go  over  now,  the  plan  and  aims  of  the 
society  ;  but  it  is  enough  to  summarize  all  by  saying 
that  it  aimed  to  save  the  world  to  a  newer  and  higher 
future  by  simply  engaging  the  strong  and  healthy 
people  in  the  world  to  unite  in  one  association  for  the 
purpose  of  giving  wise  and  judicious  aid  to  the  weak. 
One  feature  of  its  proposed  work  will  give  you  a  key 
to  the  practical  nature  of  the  reforms  sought  to  be  ac- 
complished by  it." 

"  What  was  that  ?  " 

"  The  society  first  pledged  every  member,  upon  his 
sacred  word   of  honor,  to  undertake  the   responsibility 


52  THE   DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 

of  giving  a  good  education  and  support  to  some  one 
destitute  child,  until  it  could  reach  the  age  of  self-sus- 
tenance. By  this  plan  the  society  hoped,  in  the  end,  to 
do  away  with  the  necessity  of  charitable  institutions 
for  children,  where  they  can  have  no  personal  atten- 
tion, and  where  they  graduate  later  with  the  pauper 
taint  upon  them.  The  society  offered  to  substitute 
personal  attention  and  a  sense  of  responsibility  for  the 
individual  child.  It  was  not  proposed  that  any  mem- 
ber should  adopt  any  child,  nor  that  he  should  be 
given  any  particular  child  to  look  after.  Each  mem- 
ber was  to  make  his  own  selection.  The  personal  at- 
tention and  interest  were  sought  to  be  attained  and 
held  during  the  period  of  the  up-bringing. 

"  The  giving  of  mere  money,  when  it  costs  no  self- 
denial,  nor  thought,  was  considered  as  nothing.  Here 
members  were  not  pledged  beyond  the  care  of  one 
weak  child.  Each  member  solemnly  covenanted  to 
give  to  this  particular  child  the  best  physical  training, 
the  most  wholesome  nourishment  and  the  education 
best  suited  to  his  needs,  up  to  the  time  of  his  becom- 
ing of  age,  when  he  was  affiliated  as  a  member  of  the 
society  itself.  It  was  found  that  the  cost  of  such  edu- 
cation was  trivial,  in  comparison  with  the  sums  every 
day  spent  by  well-to-do  men  upon  mere  ordinary 
pleasures,  and  that  the  money-tax  involved  was  the 
least.  It  was  hoped  that,  in  time,  the  members  would 
take  pride  in  the  selection  and  training  of  the  waifs 
and  strays  of  the  world,  as  they  do  now  in  their  train- 
ing of  horses  and  dogs. 

"  It   was    held,    further,"    continued     Lord     Robert, 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  53 

"that  when  the  well-to-do  in  the  world  were  united  to- 
gether to  carry  out  such  a  plan,  crime  and  poverty 
would  be  driven  from  the  face  of  the  earth  ;  for  nearly 
all  misery  and  suffering  in  the  world  come  from  an  un- 
trained, underfed,  misused  childhood.  To  reform 
adults  was  no  part  of  the  work  of  the  elementary 
society.  Neither  was  a  member  confined  in  his  duty 
to  the  education  of  one  child.  If  he  could  show  that 
he  could  take  care  of  more  than  one,  without  injury 
to  those  immediately  dependent  upon  him,  he  had,  of 
course,  that  privilege.  The  more  successful  a  member 
was  in  this  high  work,  the  more  rapid  his  advancement. 
The  successful  up-bringing  of  one  child  entitled  the 
member  to  advancement  to  membership  in  one  of  the 
inner  societies.  I  am  still  a  member  of  the  elementary 
society,  and,  from  what  I  know  of  its  work,  I  am  con- 
vinced that  Mortimer  Mortimer  belongs  to  the  Central 
organization,  which  is  very  limited  in  its  membership, 
and  is  made  up  only  of  men  who  have  given  up  every 
other  object  in  life,  of  a  strictly  selfish  character,  in 
order  to  have  their  whole  time  to  work  for  the  raising 
of  the  standard  of  human  character  and  achievement." 

"  Why  do  you  connect  such  a  man  and  such  an 
organization  with  the  character  of  such  a  man  as  James 
Musgrove  ?  " 

"  It's  a  mere  surmise  upon  my  part.  The  society  I 
have  mentioned  is  a  very  practical  one.  There  is  not 
a  line  concerning  any  formal  religion  in  any  of  its 
writings.  There  is  no  impossible  straining  after  an 
assumed  standard  of  an  impossible  perfection.  It  is 
especially  sought  to   interest  those   who   have   money 


54  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

and  who  have  the  command,  therefore,  of  leisure.  The 
experiment  of  this  evening  suggested  to  me  a  possi- 
bility, although  I  would  not  venture  to  mention  it  out- 
side of  a  confidential  conversation  with  a  trusted  friend. 
Mind  you,  this  is  only  a  possibility.  It  may  be  that 
the  Central  society  is  massing  a  great  sum  of  money, 
to  be  employed  as  the  basis  of  this  movement,  and 
your  idea  of  a  syndicate  somehow  fits  into  my  mind. 
You  note  that  all  who  step  out  are  well-to-do  ;  they 
are  never  accused  of  crime  or  ill-doing.  They  leave 
enough  behind,  so  that  no  one  suffers  by  their  absence. 
They  are  nearly  always  men  apparently  absorbed  in  a 
mere  selfish  pursuit  of  gain.     Now " 

"Well?" 

"  It  may  be  that  the  Central  society,  from  time  to 
time,  marks  a  man  of  that  class,  leads  him  to  the  fasci- 
nating border  of  some  entrancing  unknown,  shields  him 
when  he  steps  out,  then  develops  his  second  or  third 
sub-consciousness,  according  to  its  nature,  employs 
him,  and  thus  gives  the  man  that  perfect  contentment 
which  is  only  found  when  engaged  in  work  in  accord- 
ance with  one's  better  nature,  while  his  money,  or  a 
portion  of  it,  is  used  for  the  work  of  the  society.  Mus- 
grove  may  have  come  in  contact  with  some  member  of 
the  society  when  he  lived  in  Paris.  The  society  has 
only  lately  begun  its  work  in  America,  which  is,  you 
know,  the  land  of  material  development  and  bad  man- 
ners, and  the  land  in  which  selfishness  rules." 

"  Come,  that  is  hard  on  my  country." 

"  No.  In  what  country  were  there,  in  the  past,  such 
great  opportunities  for  the  poor?     You  were  free  from 


THE-  DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE.  55 

the  environments  of  Europe  ;  but  your  history  is  like 
ours  in  the  feudal  days.  It  is  one  long  story  of  seizure 
of  wealth  and  property  by  the  skillful  and  the  bold, 
while  your  poor  are  now  going  to  the  wall  with  great 
rapidity.  The  slums  of  your  great  cities  are  even 
worse  than  the  worst  in  Europe.  Your  material 
spirit,  your  greed  for  money,  and  your  selfishness, 
show  in  everything — in  the  general  indifference  to  art, 
in  the  general  lack  of  manners,  in  the  mad  rush  to  see 
and  be  seen,  and  the  subordination  of  your  intellectual 

life  to  the  most  material  one.     You " 

"  Oh,  spare  us  !  It  is  too  late  an  hour  to  take  up  my 
country's  defense.  What  you  say,  in  one  sense,  is  lit- 
erally true,  so  far  as  it  relates  to  a  portion  ;  but  you 
overlook  all  of  the  good,  which,  I  hope,  is  not  in  such  a 
small  minority  as  you  would  think.  However,  the  fire 
is  going  out.     Let  us  say  good-night." 

"  Oh,  by  the  way — I  can't   breakfast  with  you  in  the 
morning,  as   I    have   an   early  engagement ;  but  I  will 
meet  you  at  the  Carlton  Club  for  our  dinner.     Before 
you  go  to  bed,  take  one  suggestion." 
"What  is  that?" 

"  Make  the  acquaintance  of  Mortimer  Mortimer." 
"  Thank  you.     I  will  look  him  up  to-morrow." 
And  what  a  morrow  I  had  before  me  !     No  thought 
of  it  disturbed  me  as  I  calmly  retired  for  the  night. 


56 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE   EDITOR     OF    THE    WASP    IN     LONDON — THE   SEN- 
SATIONAL  DISAPPEARANCE   OF   THE    DUKE    OF   WEX. 

The  next  morning  I  found  upon  my  mantel-piece  a 
note  from  The  Wasp  editor,  who  had  arrived  in  Lon- 
don, and  was  at  Brown's  Hotel.  I  had  written  for  him 
a  number  of  letters,  during  the  last  six  months,  descrip- 
tive of  London  and  Continental  social  life.  These  had 
commanded  enough  attention  to  satisfy  him,  and  con- 
vince him  that  I  was  not  wholly  a  failure,  and  that  the 
money  invested  in  me  was  not  a  loss.  I  called  at  his 
hotel  about  noon,  just  after  my  light  breakfast. 

I  found  him  the  center  of  the  confusion  which  was 
so  delightful  to  him.  The  floor  of  his  sitting-room  was 
literally  covered  with  newspapers,  bills,  telegrams,  and 
the  rubbish  of  a  counting-house.  Servants  were  con- 
tinually coming  and  going,  in  answer  to  his  imperative 
orders.  He  kept  up  an  incessant  demand  for  every- 
thing he  could  think  of,  while,  at  the  same  time,  ex- 
pressing continued  dissatisfaction  with  everything 
done  for  him.  Such  a  guest  knows  the  true  way  to 
endear  himself  to  a  host,  but  the  hour  of  retribution 
comes  when  the  account  is  to  be  made  up.  But  this 
modern  editor  never  winced  at  any  bill  incurred  in  ad- 
ministering to  the  wants  of  his  glorious  self,  and  so  he 
was  tolerated  in  hotels  where  otherwise  his  uproar  and 


A   NOTE    FROM    THE    WASP    EDITOR.      Page:    5K. 


58  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

continual  fault-finding  might  have  ended  in  closing  the 
doors  against  him. 

I  found  him  in  a  perfectly  livid  state  of  excitement. 
Without  a  word  of  greeting  even,  he  cried  out :  "  Have 
you  seen  the  first  edition  of  the  Evening  Standard?  " 

"  No ;  I  have  not  looked  at  a  paper  to-day." 

"And  here  it  is  afternoon."  My  standing  in  his 
estimation  went  down  many  degrees.  A  man  who 
could  go  by  the  mid-day  breakfast  hour  without  a  look 
at  those  devices  of  the  devil,  the  modern  newspapers, 
was  wholly  outside  of  his  range  of  comprehension. 
"  Well,  let  me  call  your  placid  attention  to  a  mysterious 
paragraph  in  The  Standard."  Here  he  caught  up  the 
newspaper,  adjusted  his  eyeglasses,  and  read  the  fol- 
lowing : 

" '  Last  evening  the  Duke  of  Wex  visited  the  Vic- 
toria Gallery  Club  with  some  friends.  He  left  the  club 
at  half-past  one  in  the  morning  in  his  own  carriage. 
His  coachman,  a  man  who  has  been  in  his  service  for 
twenty  years,  observed  that  his  Grace  was  strangely 
preoccupied  as  he  came  out  of  the  club.  He  gave 
directions  to  drive  home  at  once  to  the  house  occupied 
by  him,  in  Park  Lane.  Ten  minutes  after,  the  carriage 
stopped  in  front  of  his  house.  The  footman  descended 
from  the  box  to  open  the  door,  and  he  found  the  car- 
riage empty.  As  the  carriage  had  been  driven  at  a 
rapid  pace  from  the  club,  the  surprise  of  the  servants 
who  attended  him  was  great.  They  drove  back  over 
the  route  to  the  club,  but  could  not  find  him.  The 
footman  entered  the  club  and  made  inquiries,  but  no 
information  was  elicited.     Naturally,  the  disappearance 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  59 

of  the  Duke,  under  such  circumstances  of  apparent 
mystery,  has  made  a  profound  sensation.  The  police 
were  asked  to-day  to  assist  in  unraveling  the  mystery, 
as  no  trace  or  word  has  been  heard  of  him  during  the 
night,  or  up  to  a  late  hour  this  morning.' 

"  Now,"  roared  the  editor,  "  you  have  a  disappear- 
ance right  under  your  nose.  You  must  make  a  big 
story  out  of  that,  to  be  cabled  at  once.  Do  you  know 
the  Duke  ?  " 

"  I  have  seen  him.  I  know  his  son,  Lord  Robert 
Melrose.  He  lives  in  the  same  lodging  with  me  and 
shares  my  sitting-room.  I  saw  the  Duke  at  the  Vic- 
toria Gallery  Club  last  night.  Lord  Robert  was  up 
and  out  this  morning  before  me.  I  shall  not  see  him 
before  dinner.     I  wonder  if  he  knows  of  this  news." 

"  Living  with  Lord  Robert  Melrose,  the  son  of  the 
Duke  of  Wex.     Why  didn't  you  mention  it  before  ?  " 

"  Why  should   I  ?  " 

"But  it  is  most  important." 

The  editor's  manner  changed  towards  me  at  once. 
I  was  to  write  out  a  good  story  of  the  disappearance 
of  the  Duke.  Then  I  was  at  once  to  prepare  an  elabo- 
ration of  the  idea  of  The  Disappearance  Syndicate.  It 
was  now  time  for  publication.  Had  I  learned  any- 
thing new  ? 

I  told  my  questioner  something  about  Lord  Robert 
Melrose  and  the  Russian  society. 

He  roared  with  derision  at  the  idea  of  a  society 
being  organized  for  mere  purposes  of  doing  good 
in  the  quietest  way  possible.  That  was  grotesquely 
improbable.     He  had   no  doubt   concerning  the  good 


60  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

faith  of  Lord  Robert  Melrose,  but  he  had  been  taken 
in  by  the  Central  society.  Those  fellows  were  living 
high  upon  the  plunder  gathered  in  by  them.  He 
would  expose  them  in  the  interest  of  reform  and  sen- 
sational journalism.  "  Run  down  this  Mortimer 
Mortimer,  and,  if  he  is  connected  with  the  disappear- 
ance of  the  many  rich  men  through  the  world,  we 
will  make  him  disgorge  the  boodle." 

I  left,  after  preparing  a  cable  story  in  accordance 
with  his  instructions,  and  took  the  first  cab  that  came 
along.  I  directed  the  driver  to  take  me  to  the  Carl- 
ton Club,  where  I  expected  later  to  meet  Lord  Robert, 
and  make  some  arrangement  for  finding  Mortimer 
Mortimer.  I  remember  distinctly  the  hour.  I  saw  a 
large  clock  in  the  waiting-room  of  the  hotel  as  I  passed 
out.  It  was  just  four  o'clock.  The  cabman  who  ad- 
vanced from  the  head  of  the  rank  was  a  typical  London 
cabby,  red-faced,  alert,  tidy  in  dress,  with  a  manner 
strangely  blending  impudence  and  respect.  I  told  him 
where  to  go,  gave  him  the  shilling  fare,  and  jumped 
into  the  cab.  When  I  was  about  half-way  down  to 
the  club,  which  was  not  more  then  five  minutes  away, 
I  suddenly  felt  an  imperious  desire  to  jump  out  of  the 
cab.  I  obeyed  it  on  the  instant,  and,  however  ir- 
rational was  the  act  which  I  made  in  response  to  some 
sudden  command,  I  should  have  obeyed  it  had  it  led 
to  my  death.  I  vaulted  out  lightly  just  before  we  had 
reached  Piccadilly.  The  short  side  street  we  were  in 
was  comparatively  deserted.  No  one  was  near  me  when 
I  jumped  out,  and  I  observed  that  the  cabman  was 
looking  straight  ahead  of  him,  as  if  buried  in  thought. 


"i   FELT    AN    IMPERIOUS    DESIRE    TO   JUMP   OUT    OF   THE   CAB."      PiO«    80. 


62  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

I  turned  in  an  opposite  direction  from  the  cab,  and 
soon  was  around  the  corner.  Here  I  took  another 
cab,  paid  the  fare,  and  in  a  moment  was  in  another 
side  street.  Here  I  again  jumped  out.  I  changed 
cabs  three  times  without  being  observed,  and  without 
any  particular  thought  in  my  mind  but  that  I  was  en- 
gaged in  an  ordinary  occupation,  although,  in  reality, 
no  one  seeking  to  elude  detectives  could  have  employed 
more  successful  means  to  evade  pursuit. 

Following  my  last  directions,  the  third  cab  brought 
me  within  a  few  squares  of  Park  Lane.  As  I  jumped 
out,  unobserved,  as  before,  I  found  myself  alone  in 
Hargrave  street,  down  which  I  walked  quickly,  until  I 
had  nearly  reached  the  lane,  where  a  small  door  in  a 
garden  wall  which  surrounded  a  great  mansion  silently 
opened,  and  I  plunged  through  it  as  if  I  were  expected, 
traversed  a  carefully  laid  out  garden,  and  entered  the 
house.  It  was  apparently  deserted.  I  walked  through 
one  vast  hallway  after  another,  mounting  wide  and 
dimly-lighted  stairways,  until  I  came  to  the  top  of  the 
house.  Here  I  kept  on,  up  a  circular  stairway,  which 
went  up  to  a  lofty  dome,  where  I  entered  a  circular 
room,  at  least  twenty  feet  in  diameter,  which  was  aglow 
with  a  soft,  clear  light,  producing  a  wonderfully  sooth- 
ing effect  upon  the  eyes.  I  had  noticed  but  little  about 
the  house  as  I  entered,  beyond  the  general  fact  that  its 
dimensions  and  furnishing  were  palatial  in  character. 

The  room  which  I  now  entered  contained  no  win- 
dows. It  was  ventilated  from  the  top.  The  interior 
of  the  dome  was  pale  blue,  with  a  magnificent  fresco, 
representing  the  Angel  Gabriel  summoning  the  earth 


"i   ENTERED    THE    HOUSE."      Page    62. 


64  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

to  judgment.  The  walls  were  in  panels  of  white  and 
gold.  Around  the  line  of  the  circles  of  the  room  were 
broad  divans,  covered  with  soft  white  furs  and  numer- 
ous white  silken  pillows.  The  floor  was  in  white 
marble,  with  small  squares  of  blue  set  at  the  corners 
of  the  larger  squares.  Suspended  from  the  dome,  by 
a  silver-covered  cord,  was  a  globe  the  size  of  an  ordi- 
nary globe  of  the  schools.  Only  this  one  was  clear, 
translucent,  shining,  identical  in  character  with  the 
ball  shown  by  Mortimer  Mortimer,  the  night  before, 
at  the  Victoria  Gallery  Club.  Underneath  the  ball 
was  a  dark  table,  inlaid  in  some  fantastic  oriental 
design.  Upon  the  table  was  a  large  sheet  of  white 
paper,  fixed  in  the  center.  Near  the  table  was  a 
strong  armchair,  with  the  head  of  an  angel  of  light 
carved  upon  the  top.  The  figure  was  looking  aloft, 
holding,  in  a  gracefully  posed  hand,  a  star. 

The  room  had  an  atmosphere  distinct  to  itself.  It 
fairly  radiated  rest,  peace  and  harmony.  I  had  not 
been  in  the  room  for  more  than  a  second  when  I  be- 
came fairly  intoxicated  with  its  charm.  What  was  it 
that  made  my  heart  pulsate  with  such  rapture,  my 
every  breath  an  aspiration  of  delight  ?  I  did  not  stop 
then  to  analyze  the  charm.  It  is  best  to  grasp  un- 
questioningly  perfect  happiness  when  it  comes,  and  so 
I  quietly  walked,  still  like  one  in  a  trance,  to  the  side 
of  the  circular  divan,  where  I  sunk  down  in  an  attitude 
of  luxurious  repose,  and  gazed  dreamily  at  the  central 
globe,  Avhich  glowed  and  paled  with  mysterious  fires 
as  incessant  in  their  continued  movement  as  the  waves 
of  mid-ocean. 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  65 

"  Where  was  I  ?  Why  had  I  come  there  ?  What 
mysterious  power  had  brought  me  there?"  were 
questions  I  did  not  ask  for  a  long  time.  I  was  only 
too  content  to  have  stepped  out  from  the  grim  realities 
of  modern  life  into  this  enchanted  atmosphere.  As  1 
lay  upon  the  silken  couch  and  studied  the  wave-lines 
of  light  in  the  ball,  I  gradually  came  back  to  myself. 
My  usual  powers  of  observation  were  restored  to  me. 
I  saw,  at  this  moment,  some  dark  characters  forming 
upon  one  of  the  sheets  of  the  paper  lying  upon  the 
table.  I  arose  from  the  couch,  glanced  at  the  sheet  of 
paper,  and  found  written  thereon,  in  a  clear,  scholarly 
hand,  the  following  note  : 

"  I  learned  to-day  that  you  were  desirous  of  meeting 
me,  and  that  you  had  received  instructions  to  write 
what  is  called,  in  the  latest  jargon  of  American 
journalism,  '  An  Exposure  of  My  Career.'  You  wish 
to  know  also  about  a  disappearance  syndicate,  the 
Central  society,  and  many  things  which  interest  and 
puzzle  you,  and  which  you  think  I  may  be  able  to  ex- 
plain. On  account  of  the  friendship  of  Lord  Robert 
Melrose  for  you,  I  am  disposed  to  see  you  and  to  talk 
with  you.  You  are  at  present  in  my  house,  upon  my 
invitation.  I  will  have  the  pleasure  of  dining  with 
you  at  half-past  seven  this  evening. 

"  Mortimer  Mortimer." 

Scarcely  had  I  read  the  note,  when  the  letters  faded 
and  the  paper  was  left  as  blank  as  before.  I  may  add 
here  that  the  paper  had  remained  attached  to  the  table, 
directly  under  the  ball,  during  my  reading.    Any  sensa- 


"I    AROSE    AND    GLANCED    AT    THE    SHEET    OF    PAPER."      Page    65. 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  67 

tion  of  surprise  seemed  impossible  in  this  enchanted 
chamber.  I  fairly  bathed  in  the  atmosphere  of  peace 
and  tranquility.  Thoughts  of  a  material  character 
drifted  away  from  me.  What  was  it  to  me  whether 
there  was  a  disappearance  syndicate  or  not  ?  What  was 
there  more  vulgar  than  curiosity  for  mere  curiosity's 
sake  ?  I  had  now  even  lost  my  desire  to  meet 
Mortimer  Mortimer.  I  cannot  describe  my  pleasure 
by  using  any  ordinary  words  of  comparison.  The 
pleasure  was  wholly  spiritual  and  intellectual.  The 
body  and  its  wants  were  forgotten. 

Such  a  sense  of  perfect  peace  and  contentment  I  had 
never  known  before.  It  was  so  novel,  that  my  mind 
was  completely  lost  in  a  flood  of  rapturous  contem- 
plation. I  sank  back  upon  the  circular  divan  and 
coiled  myself  into  a  knot  of  luxurious  ease.  My  eyes 
now  came  back  to  the  ball,  and  I  soon  saw  that  its 
mysterious  flashings  had  a  meaning.  I  was  familiar 
with  the  Morse  code,  and  as  soon  as  I  had  concentrated 
my  attention  upon  the  globe,  after  making  this  dis- 
covery, I  saw  that  the  news  of  the  world  was  being 
flashed  upon  it  by  this  telegraphic  code.  It  was  a 
curious  use  of  electricity,  and  one  wholly  unknown  to 
me.     There  now  came  a  message  personal  to  me  : 

"  Will  you  kindly  indicate  what  you  would  like  for 
your  dinner  ?  " 

This  prosaic  message,  coming  to  me  in  my  anything 
but  prosaic  surroundings,  made  me  smile.  I  left  the 
cloud-land  where  my  dreamings  had  carried  me,  and 
became  aware  that  I  was  intensely  hungry.  I  invol- 
untarily thought   of  what   I   would   like,   even   to  the 


68  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

wines  that  best  pleased  me ;  but  before  I  could  think 
of  any  way  of  communicating  my  answer,  there  came 
flashing  upon  the  globe  : 

"  All    right !     I    understand    you.       Dinner   will    be 
served  at  sharp  half-past  seven.     No  dress." 


69 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A    DINNER    AT    THE    CENTRAL    STATION    OF    LIGHT 
WITH    MORTIMER   MORTIMER. 

I  was  now  like  the  child  in  the  Christmas  pantomime. 
I  was  ready  to  accept  everything  as  it  came,  and 
wanted  no  explanations.  I  looked  at  my  watch  and 
saw  that  it  was  six  o'clock.  I  had  been  in  the  circular 
globe-room  of  light  for  nearly  two  hours,  and  it  did  not 
seem  longer  than  so  many  moments. 

At  a  quarter  after  seven,  a  tiny  metallic  sound  came 
from  the  globe,  and  I  heard  the  clear  music  of  an 
orchestra  of  many  pieces.  Then  I  must  have  lost  con- 
sciousness for  a  few  moments,  for,  when  I  next  opened 
my  eyes,  I  saw  that  the  table  under  the  globe  was 
covered  with  fine  linen,  and  set  out  with  the  white 
china  and  the  glittering  silver  of  a  dinner  service.  In 
the  center  of  the  table  was  a  tall  epergne  filled  with 
roses.     The  table  was  set  for  two. 

By  the  side  of  the  table  stood  my  host,  Mortimer 
Mortimer.  He  looked  exactly  as  he  did  when  he  ap- 
peared upon  the  platform  of  the  Victoria  Gallery  Club. 
Only  now,  instead  of  being  in  evening  dress,  he  wore  a 
dark  morning  costume.  He  bowed  gravely  to  me  as 
I  arose,  and  indicated  the  nearest  seat  as  mine.  As  I 
took  the  seat  a  Japanese  servant  entered  the  room  and 
began  to  serve  the  soup. 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  Jl 

Everything  during  the  dinner  was  matter-of-fact, 
and  in  accordance  with  the  regular  course  of  things. 
My  host  said,  as  dinner  began  : 

"  There  is  no  enchantment  in  this  house,  save  that 
of  modern  science.  I  say  now,  as  I  said  at  the  Gallery 
Club,  that  I  do  not  deal  with  the  supernatural.  I  have 
no  desire  to  mystify  or  to  surprise  any  one.  Where  I 
make  an  experiment  or  an  explanation,  it  is  with  a 
definite  object.  If  you  will  wait  until  the  dinner  is 
passed,  I  will  answer  any  questions  you  may  wish  to 
ask." 

"  How  did  you  know  of  me,  and  that  I  wanted  to 
see  you  ?" 

"  Lord  Robert  Melrose  told  me.  He  met  me  in 
Hyde  Park  this  afternoon  and  said  you  were  anxious 
to  see  me." 

"  When  did  he  tell  you  ?  " 

"  At  half-past  three." 

"  And  at  four  I  was  upon  my  way  here,  and  yet  you 
profess  to  be  no  master  of  magical  arts." 

"  All  that  is  susceptible  of  explanation.  Wait  until 
the  dinner  is  passed." 

The  dinner  was  one  that  was  worthy  of  the  host. 
Everything  was  simple,  but  exquisitely  good.  The 
soup  was  like  a  fine  wine.  Each  course  was  dainty,  at 
once  a  whip  to  the  palate  and  satisfying.  The  dishes 
I  had  indicated  were  cooked  as  I  never  had  tasted 
them  before.  At  the  dessert,  fruits  were  served  in  the 
greatest  profusion.  The  delicacy  of  the  wines,  the 
elegance  of  the  service,  the  excellence  of  the  food,  left 
behind  a   sense  of  well-being,  the  reverse  of  the  heavy 


72  THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 

sensation  that  follows  the  eating  of  the  usual  dinner. 
Our  conversation  during  dinner  related  to  the  ordinary 
topics  of  the  day. 

At  its  conclusion  the  service  was  cleared  away  in  a 
moment,  and  then  Mortimer  Mortimer,  still  sitting  op- 
posite to  me,  pointed  to  a  bundle  of  Egyptian  cigarettes 
upon  a  silver  plate  between  us.  When  I  had  lighted 
one,  he,  excusing  himself  from  smoking,  began  the  con- 
versation by  saying : 

"  Will  you  excuse  me  if  I  ask  a  few  questions  before 
answering  those  I  know  you  are  anxious  to  make  ? 
What  has  been  your  motive  in  seeking  to  probe  the  so- 
called  mystery  of  Mortimer  Mortimer?" 

"  I  fear  not  a  very  exalted  one.  I  love  puzzles,  but 
my  motive  in  your  case  goes  back  to  my  first  studies 
concerning  the  various  disappearances  of  men  through 
the  world.  In  my  study  of  this  general  subject,  I  was  led 
to  you  as  possibly  one  who  could  give  me  light  and  help." 

"  But  underneath  all  that  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  am  now  looking  into  the  subject  for  The 
Wasp,  an  American  newspaper." 

Mortimer  frowned  as  he  asked  :  "  Are  you  a  regular 
member  of  the  staff  of  that  paper  ?  " 

To  this  I  replied  "  No,"  and  then  explained  how  I 
had  been  led  to  accept  the  special  employment  that 
had  brought  me  to  London  to  investigate  the  possi- 
bility of  a  disappearance  syndicate. 

"  How  did  you  come  to  assume  that  I  could  throw 
any  light  upon  the  matter  ?  " 

"  It  was  Lord  Robert  Melrose  who  suggested  it." 

During  this   time    Mortimer  Mortimer  was  studying 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  73 

me  intently.  Finally,  he  said  :  "If  I  did  not  believe 
you  were  better  than  you  profess,  I  should  be  very 
reluctant  to  talk  to  you  at  all.  Suppose,  for  a  moment, 
I  could  give  you  some  information  concerning  the  sub- 
ject of  your  inquiry.  Will  you  kindly  tell  me  why  I 
should  ?  Can  you,  as  an  honest  man,  say  that  the  in- 
formation will  be  used  in  such  a  way  as  to  do  any  one 
any  good  ?  " 

"  It  will  be  used  as  a  basis  for  an  article." 

"  For  publication  in  a  sensational  newspaper  ?  " 

"  Yes.  ' 

"  Has  this  newspaper  ever  really  served  the  public  ? " 

"  It  prates  of  nothing  else  but  of  its  duty  to  the 
public  !  " 

"  But  in  reality." 

"  Honestly,  I  cannot  say  that  it  ever  has.  It  is 
published  first  and  last  to  make  money  for  its  owner." 

"  So  you  ask  me,  a  perfect  stranger,  to  expose  to 
your  gaze  my  privacy  and  my  innermost  life  for  the 
sake  of  making  copy  to  satisfy  mere  vulgar  curiosity. 
No,  a  thousand  times  no  !  I  will  never  consent  to  do 
that.  If  I  did  not  know  that  you  were  capable  of 
better  things,  I  should  not  talk  to  you  at  all.  I  do 
know  about  the  things  you  have  so  carelessly  stumbled 
upon.  There  is  something  in  this  subject  wholly  be- 
yond what  you  have  imagined.  But  it  is  not  what  you 
have  supposed.  You  have  a  thread  of  fact  that  could 
be  used  very  cunningly  to  make  a  sensational  story. 
It  could  not  do  harm  to  the  cause  I  represent,  but  it 
would  do  harm  to  you.  So,  before  I  go  farther  into  this 
subject,  I  will  call  your  attention  to   a  few  possibilities 


74  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

of  modern  science.  First,  this  ball  which  hangs  sus- 
pended here  should  interest  you.  It  is  one  of  the 
latest  achievements  of  science.  It  is  the  product  of 
the  united  work  of  some  of  the  best  minds  of  this 
world.  A  knowledge  of  it  is  not  given  to  the  public, 
and  it  may  be  generations  before  it  will  be.  But  I  will 
show  you  some  of  its  workings  and  its  powers  before 
proceeding  to  its  explanation.  You  have  here  a  central 
receiver  of  sound  and  of  light.  The  person  who  under- 
stands its  working,  can,  with  its  aid,  see  and  hear  what 
is  taking  place  at  a  distance.  It  is  also  a  medium  of 
thought-transference,  and  a  constant  radiator  of  elec- 
trical force.  I  wrote  you  the  note  in  my  library,  below, 
and  it  was  flashed  to  the  surface  of  the  sensitized  paper 
in  the  center  of  the  table  in  my  actual  handwriting, 
which  faded  soon  after  the  impression  was  passed.  I 
sustained  the  impression  until  I  learned  by  the  reflex 
action  in  my  library  that  you  had  read  it.  The  atmos- 
phere in  this  room  is  regulated  by  the  globe.  Through 
it  your  system  was  at  once  keyed  up  to  its  perfect 
electrical  tone,  which  is  the  only  perfect  state  of  ex- 
istence. When  you  have  the  proper  electrical  condi- 
tions in  your  body  you  are  at  the  maximum  of  your 
powers,  and  disease  or  fatigue  are  impossible.  Electric- 
ity is  the  life  that  animates  everything.  Electricity,  as 
you  know,  can  be  transmitted,  without  wires,  upon  the 
air  currents.  Even  electric  lights  have  been  produced 
without  the  actual  contact  of  wires.  How  far  this 
science  has  progressed  under  the  direction  of  the 
Central  society,"  here  Mortimer  Mortimer's  eyes 
flashed,  "  I  will,  perhaps,  indicate  later." 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 


75 


"  Now,"  he  continued,  "  will  you  kindly  give  your 
attention  to  the  ball?  Fix  your  mind  upon  some  one 
you  want  to  see.  Concentrate  your  mind  upon  the 
ball,  and  look  into  its  innermost  depths." 

Mechanically,  I  obeyed.  Upon  the  instant  the  vista 
of  the  globe  enlarged  and  I  gazed,  as  through  a  clear 
magnifying  glass,  directly  into  my  sitting-room  in  Half- 
Moon  street.     I   saw   Lord    Robert  in  the  room.     He 


"WHAT    TIME    DID   MR.    LIVINGSTONE    LEAVE    THE    HOUSE  ?' 


was  looking  on  the  mantel  for  some  note.  Then  he 
turned,  and  rang  the  bell  sharply.  I  saw  the  servant 
enter  and  then  I  heard  the  following  conversation,  as 
distinctly  as  if  I  had  been  in  the  room  : 


j6  THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 

"  What  time  did  Mr.  Livingstone  leave  the  house?" 

"  Just  after  his  breakfast." 

"  Did  he  leave  any  word  for  me  ?  " 

"  Yes,  he  said  to  tell  you,  when  you  returned,  that 
he  would  meet  you  at  the  Carlton  Club  at  seven  o'clock, 
for  dinner." 

"  Mr.  Livingstone  has  not  been  back  since  ?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  Very  good.     That  will  do." 

The  servant  retired.  Lord  Robert  now  said  to  him- 
self :  "  I  should  think  Livingstone  would  have  returned 
before  this.  I  wonder  if  he  found  Mortimer  Mortimer 
and  was  detained.  I  did  not  find  him  at  the  club  at 
seven,  and  he  has  sent  me  no  word.  Well,  I  must  go 
and  dine,  as  it  is  late  enough,  heaven  knows."  With 
this  he  left  the  room. 

"  Do  you  wish  to  follow  him  ?  "  said  Mortimer. 

"  No,  not  at  present." 

I  turned  to  Mortimer  Mortimer  as  I  said  :  "  How 
am  I  to  know  that  this  is  not  a  repetition  of  the  ex- 
periment made  by  you  at  the  Victoria  Gallery  ?  How 
can  I  know  that  you  are  not  making  me  see  and  hear 
what  you  wish  me  to  hear,  and  that  you  are  making 
me  respond  to  your  will  as  you  did  this  afternoon, 
when  you  arrested  me  in  a  cab  and  summoned  me 
here  ?  " 

"  Your  question  is  pertinent,  but  future  tests  will 
show  you  that  this  surmise  is  not  correct.  The  element 
of  animal  magnetism,  as  it  is  known  to  you,  need  not 
now  be  considered,  as  it  is  a  subordinate  branch  of  the 
general   subject   of   electricity.     It   belongs   to  the  de- 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE.  JJ 

partment  of  personal  electricity.  This  globe  repre- 
sents the  highest  achievement  of  mechanical  electric- 
ity. It  makes  simple  and  certain  what  was  formerly 
the  occasional  and  uncertain  gift  of  a  few  individuals. 
All  of  our  sensations  are  recorded  in  the  brain  by 
electric  waves  along  the  lines  of  the  nerves,  which  end 
in  producing  an  impression  upon  the  brain.  Thought 
is  the  brain  in  action.  The  brain  is  the  battery,  and  the 
thought  is  electricity  generated.  This,  brought  in  con- 
tact with  this  high  instrument  of  electrical  skill,  and 
you  have  the  means  of  seeing  and  hearing  what  is  going 
on  at  a  distance,  by  projecting  the  thought-wave  upon 
this  globe.  Between  two  people  who  understand  the 
use  of  the  instrument  a  conversation  can  be  maintained 
at  any  distance." 

"  You  mean  between  any  points  on  this  globe  ?  " 

"  Let  it  stand  there,  as  I  do  not  want  to  go  too  far 
in  this  preliminary  conversation." 

At  this,  something  within  me  moved  through  my 
body  like  a  warm  wave.  A  tide  of  emotion  swept 
over  my  mind.  All  the  littleness  of  my  past  came  to 
me,  in  clear,  sharp  lines.     Suddenly,  I  said  : 

"  Mortimer  Mortimer,  I  wish  that  you  thought  me 
worthy  of  becoming  your  associate,  no  matter  how 
humble  might  be  my  place." 

"  The  wish  shows  you  to  be  worthy.  I  knew  that, 
when  you  were  waked  up,  you  would  become  conscious 
that  life,  as  it  is  now  lived  by  the  average  mortal,  is 
wholly  unworthy  and  devoid  of  a  proper  object.  With 
the  most  fortunate,  it  is  but  a  brief  struggle  of  selfish- 
ness, for  successes  achieved   at   the   expense  of  others. 


7$  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

Perhaps  you  understand,  even  now,  why  this  great  and 
simple  invention  of  the  electrical  globe  could  not  be 
given  to  the  world." 

"  Surely.  It  would  only  be  used  by  the  strong  for 
the  more  successful  preying  upon  the  weak.  Such 
inventions  would  naturally  come  first  into  the  hands  of 
the  rich  and  the  powerful,  and  its  superior  knowledge 
would  be  used  in  the  further  selfish  aggregation  of 
power." 

"  More  than  that,"  said  Mortimer  Mortimer,  "  it 
would  become,  in  the  present  diseased  condition  of 
society,  a  weapon  in  the  hands  of  the  criminal.  In 
time,  I  hope  that  it  may  become  the  means  of  regenerat- 
ing the  world,  and  of  giving  to  it  its  proper  place  in 
the  universe.  It  is,  after  all,  only  a  union  of  the 
principle  of  the  phonograph,  the  telephone  and  the 
kineotograph  of  Edison  ;  so  one  instrument  serves  for 
all.  It  is  no  more  wonderful,  as  it  now  stands,  than 
would  have  been  either  the  telephone  or  the  phono- 
graph, twenty-five  years  ago.  But,  come,  I  have  con- 
fidence in  you.  You  may  ask  me  what  question  you 
will,  and  I  will  answer.  Leave  the  general  subject  to 
the  last." 

"  First,  how  did  you  summon  me  here?" 

"  That  was  by  an  exercise,  simply,  of  my  will." 

"  How  did  you  know  where  I  was  ?  " 

"  I  returned  directly  to  the  house  after  seeing  Lord 
Robert  Melrose  in  the  park  near  here,  and  looked  for 
you  in  the  globe." 

"  Did  you  direct  my  movements  here  ?" 

"Yes." 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE.  79 

"  Then,  to  all  practical  purposes,  I  am  the  hero  of 
another  case  of  mysterious  disappearance  ?  " 

"You  are.  But  you  can  return  to  your  former  life, 
if  you  wish,  by  simply  giving  me  your  word  to  be 
silent  concerning  what  you  have  learned,  or  may  learn, 
in  this  house.     We  hold  no  one  against  his  will." 

"  We  ?  Then  there  is  a  Central  society,  as  you 
said  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Are  you  its  head  ?  " 

"No." 

"  Do  you  belong  to  the  Inner  section  ?" 

"Yes." 

"  Do  you  know  James  Musgrove  ?  " 

"I  do." 

"  Where  is  he  now  ?  " 

"  He  is  at  present  in  one  of  the  monasteries  in  the 
Himalayas." 

"  Did  he  go  there  of  his  own  free  will  ?  " 

"  Most  assuredly.  Do  you  suppose,  for  a  moment, 
that  we  seek  to  have  with  us  any  one  who  is  not  willing 
to  co-operate  with  us  ?  I  dare  say,  some  time  in  the 
future,  you  will  be  able  to  see  and  talk  with  Musgrove. 
But  now  you  can  have  but  a  passing  glimpse  of  him, 
and  I  shall  especially  request  you  not  to  disturb  him 
with  any  questions." 

With  this  remark,  Mortimer  turned  to  the  globe, 
and  within  a  second  I  saw  before  me  a  whitewashed 
cell  in  the  distant  monastery.  In  this  cell  knelt  James 
Musgrove,  ex-money-hunter,  attired  in  the  white  robe 
of  an    Eastern   monk.     He  was  looking  steadfastly  at 


IN    Till-    CELL    KNKLT    JAMES    JIl'SIIKDVE.      I>A.;f    79. 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  8l 

the  pictures  which  were  being  flashed  before  his  eyes 
in  a  globe  which  hung  from  the  center  of  his  cell.  He 
was  studying,  with  earnest  care,  the  various  pictures  of 
his  speculative  life.  He  was  made  to  see  the  unhappi- 
ness  and  the  wrongs  following  the  speculations  which 
had  been  encouraged  by  him  and  his  class.  Tears 
were  actually  chasing  down  the  cynical  face  of  this 
broad-faced  man,  who,  in  the  past,  had  seen  regiments 
of  men  ruined  without  even  drawing  a  long  breath  of 
regret. 

u  Musgrove,  at  heart,  is  a  good  fellow,"  said  Morti- 
mer. "  We  are  developing  now  his  better  conscious- 
ness. He  has  been  tired  a  long  time  of  what  he  is 
doing.  We  are  training  him  now  to  see  things  as  they 
actually  are,  and  very  soon  we  will  have  him  at  work 
as  a  member  of  one  of  the  Inner  societies,  although  it 
will  be  a  long  time  before  he  can  come  to  the  Central 
station.  You  may  rest  assured  of  one  thing,  however, 
and  that  is,  that  he  is  contented  and  that  no  earthly 
inducement  would  ever  tempt  him  to  go  back  to  the 
life  he  formerly  lived." 

My  questions  now  ceased.  My  mind  was  in  a 
tumult.  I  tried  to  grasp  the  situation  clearly.  I  was 
face  to  face  with  one  of  the  best  preserved  secrets  in 
the  world,  and  the  door  to  its  innermost  mystery  stood 
wide  open. 

Finally,  Mortimer  Mortimer  said  to  me :  "  You 
have  experienced  a  desire  to  join  us.  Before  doing  so 
you  should  know  generally  what  we  are  doing  and 
what  we  hope  to  accomplish.  This  room  is  one  of  the 
places  where  candidates  come.     Those  who  stand  the 


82  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

tests,  and  are  accepted,  are  given  their  work.  We 
have  been  so  careful  in  summoning  candidates,  by  a 
study  of  their  surroundings,  that  thus  far  we  have  had 
to  reject  only  one.  That  one  was  the  Washington 
official  noted  by  you  in  your  talk  with  your  friend,  the 
professor.  At  the  last  moment  the  politician  became 
too  strong  for  his  better  nature.  A  wave  of  forgetful- 
ness  was  passed  over  his  brain,  and  he  was  sent  away. 
He  came  to  his  former  consciousness  in  Sydney,  Aus- 
tralia. From  this  place  he  made  his  way  home  to 
Washington,  after  an  absence  of  over  a  year.  He 
could  give  no  acceptable  explanation  of  his  absence. 
He  is  now  back  at  his  profession  of  law,  and  while  he 
is  conscious,  sometimes,  of  having  missed  a  great  oppor- 
tunity, this  year  of  absence  is  a  blank  in  his  mind. 
But  you  have  had  enough  for  one  day.  You  can  re- 
main here,  and,  if  you  want  anything,  may  address 
yourself  to  the  globe." 

Here  my  host  turned  to  one  of  the  panels,  and, 
pushing  it  open,  showed  a  passageway  to  a  small, 
adjacent  room.  "In  this  room,"  said  he,  "  you  will 
find  linens,  toilet  articles,  changes  of  apparel,  anything 
you  may  need  for  your  short  stay ;  and  now,  good- 
night." With  this  my  host  departed  down  the  circular 
stairway,  dropping  a  silken  hanging  over  the  passage- 
way, leaving  me  to  the  exquisite  luxury  of  being 
alone  with  my  thoughts  in  the  life-giving  atmosphere 
of  this  beautiful  chamber. 


83 


CHAPTER  IX. 

HIE    REVELATIONS   OF   THE   HOUSE   OF   LIGHT. 

If  I  had  been  merely  occupied  with  amusing  myself, 
without  other  thought,  I  might  well  have  been  con- 
tented to  have  remained  in  this  room  for  the  rest  of 
my  days.  The  whole  world  was  at  my  command.  Its 
news  was  constantly  flashing  before  my  eyes.  Its 
secrets  were  to  be  had  for  the  asking.  The  motives  of 
men,  the  thousand  and  one  puzzles  of  every-day  life, 
made  an  entrancing  study.  I  remained  alone  in  this 
room  for  a  week,  seeing  only  the  Japanese  servant,  be- 
fore I  thought  of  summoning  Mortimer  Mortimer. 
During  this  time,  owing  to  the  peculiar  electric  atmos- 
phere in  the  room,  my  nature  appeared  to  have 
changed.  I  seemed  to  realize  more  and  more  clearly 
the  perfect  hopelessness  of  life  as  it  was  lived.  The 
indifference  and  cruelty  of  it  all  were  relieved  by  so 
little  of  the  leaven  of  unselfishness  that  when  once  my 
curiosity  was  satisfied,  there  succeeded  a  feeling  of  im- 
patience that  it  should  be  so.  This  was  followed  by  a 
firm  resolution  upon  my  part  that  I  would  devote  my 
life  and  thought  to  something  better  than  self.  This 
determination  was  no  sooner  made  than  the  globe 
gave  forth  a  metallic  note,  and  a  moment  later  Morti- 
mer Mortimer  was  with  me. 

"Your  resolution  is  a  wise  one.    You  will   now  best 


84  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

serve  your  true  interests  by  apparently  forgetting 
them.  Are  you  prepared  to  renounce  all  personal 
ambition,  to  give  up  all  hope  of  riches  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Are    you    willing    to    be    obscure,    unknown    and 


poor 


?" 


"Yes." 

"  There  are  no  great  formalities  of  membership. 
There  is  but  little  to  learn  that  can  be  taught  you  by 
word  of  mouth.  Neither  will  I  now  demand  a  pledge  of 
secrecy  from  you.  Perhaps,  in  time,  it  would  be  well 
to  make  the  story  of  your  coming  here  known.  Now 
I  will  give  a  brief  account  of  the  work  we  are  doing, 
and  that  which  we  propose  to  do  in  the  future,  and 
how  I  became  attached  to  it.  Twenty  years  ago  I  was 
in  Paris,  with  a  large  sum  of  money  at  my  command. 
I  was  then  the  heir  to  a  large  fortune.  I  am  a  Russian 
born,  although  I  defy  any  one  who  does  not  know  to 
name  my  nationality.  My  father  was  English,  but  my 
mother  was  Russian.  I  lived  the  life  of  pleasure  that 
is  so  alluring  when  one  is  young.  I  exhausted  every- 
thing in  the  way  of  sensual  pleasure,  my  fortune  drift- 
ing through  my  hands,  until  at  the  last  I  was  left 
penniless.  Then  I  was  tempted  to  commit  a  crime. 
Years  of  debilitating  pleasure  and  loose  companionship 
had  eaten  almost  the  last  shred  of  my  moral  nature, 
but  there  was  one  fiber  that  resisted  at  the  thought 
of  crime.  I  fell  ill  through  distress  and  suffering; 
in  fact,  became  hysterical  through  the  disease  of  my 
overwrought  nerves.  I  was  taken  to  one  of  the  public 
hospitals,    and    there    I    came   under  the   care   of    Dr. 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  85 

Charcot.  In  my  shattered  condition  I  was  easily  made 
one  of  his  subjects,  and  in  the  magnetic  sleep  a  sub- 
consciousness was  developed  in  me  that  was  so  strong 
that  it  took  complete  possession  of  me,  and  after  six 
months  of  patient  care,  my  selfish  character  was  sunk- 
en, I  now  know,  forever. 

"  When  I  left  the  hospital  Dr.  Charcot  was  good 
enough  to  secure  for  me  the  position  of  secretary  to  a 
distinguished  Orientalist,  a  learned  man,  who  had  spent 
a  long  life  studying  the  characteristics  of  the  various 
religions  of  the  world,  in  the  periods  of  their  early 
development.  I  was  with  him  several  years  and  be- 
came, in  the  peaceful  and  serene  atmosphere  of  the 
old  man's  library,  imbued  with  an  almost  savage  desire- 
to  redeem  the  years  of  my  life  that  I  had,  apparently, 
wasted.  One  night  I  received  a  summons  such  as  you 
received  when  you  came  here.  I  left  my  master  and 
walked  forth  in  the  night,  following  the  movement 
of  another's  will,  until  I  found  myself  in  a  great  hotel, 
surrounded  by  a  park,  in  the  outskirts  of  Paris. 

"  It  was  here  my  new  life  began.  I  shall  not  now 
go  into  details.  The  influence  of  Charcot,  acquired  in 
the  hospital,  was  exerted  magnetically,  and  I  was 
brought,  through  it,  to  the  chateau,  where  lived  the 
president  of  the  Russian  society,  described  to  you  by 
Lord  Melrose.  I  became  a  member,  and  continued 
my  work  with  my  master,  the  Orientalist,  until  about 
five  years  ago.  It  was  during  my  work  in  Paris  that  I 
became  acquainted  with  James  Musgrove.  I  became 
deeply  impressed,  after  a  time,  with  the  struggle  con- 
tinually going  on  between  two  very  vigorous  and  very 


86  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

diverse  elements  in  his  nature.  The  one  that  was  up- 
permost was  coarse,  selfish  and  devoted  to  material 
pursuits.  The  other  was  poetical,  with  aspirations  as 
lofty  and  great  as  ever  visited  the  brain  of  Shakes- 
peare." 

He  paused  at  my  look  of  surprise,  and  then  added  : 
"  In   time,    I    was   fortunate   enough   to   become  ad- 
vanced to  membership  in  the  Central  society,  and  now 
I  am  one  of  the  Inner  Council  of  Ten  that  governs  the 
world." 

"  Governs  the  world  ?  " 

"  Yes.  Not  as  might  ordinarily  be  understood.  But 
it  is  a  government  that  grows  day  by  day,  and  will,  in 
the  end,  be  the  one  government  for  the  entire  world, 
doing  away  with  all  others.  You  need  not  look 
surprised.  It  is  simple  enough.  The  elementary 
societies  throughout  the  world  are  strong.  Through 
them  we  have  invited  to  our  Inner  societies,  during  the 
last  few  years,  hundreds  of  very  rich  men.  Their  dis- 
appearance from  the  active  circles  of  the  world  has  not 
attracted  any  particular  attention  beyond  the  local  ripple 
following  their  departure.  We  have  selected  only  those 
who  could  be  spared,  who  were  doing  no  good  to  them- 
selves, and  whose  departure  will  not  impose  suffering 
upon  any  one.  When  they  are  once  with  us,  they  would 
prefer  death  to  going  back  to  their  old  life.  They 
willingly  give  their  money  to  us.  We  have  a  reserve 
fund  now  of  over  one  billion  of  dollars.  We  use  this 
money  to  control  great  institutions  throughout  the 
world.  The  monasteries  of  Thibet  are  with  us.  In 
the  Himalayas  we  have  built  numerous  monasteries  of 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  S? 

our  own.  Wo  own  great  houses  in  the  various  capitals 
of  the  world.  The  Council  of  Ten  live,  for  a  portion 
of  its  time,  in  the  world,  and,  as  presiding  officers  of 
trust  companies,  manage,  without  attracting  notice,  the 
treasury  of  the  Central  society." 

"  But  how  can  you  own  such  vast  possessions  as 
hotels,  monasteries,  and  the  like,  thoughout  the  world 
without  becoming  subjects  for  curious  gossip  ?  " 

"  Because  we  move  only  as  individuals.  The  whole 
world  is  bare  to  the  gaze  of  inspectors,  who  watch  the 
globes  that  are  in  our  sub-telegraph  stations.  Here  the 
members  are  watched,  and  warned  constantly  of  every 
possible  antagonistic  influence.  We  have  cultivated  the 
wills  of  the  Council  of  Ten  until,  united,  they  can, 
through  the  influence  of  a  large  central  globe,  highly 
charged,  send  out  thought-waves,  sufficiently  powerful 
to  affect  a  nation.  This  work  is  now  going  on  at  the 
central  station  of  London.  It  is  owing  to  the  influence 
of  this  station  that  war  has  been  so  long  held  back  in 
Europe.  We  do  not  say  that  there  will  never  be  a  war 
again  ;  that  will  depend  only  upon  a  power  higher  than 
our  own.  But  peace  is  now  in  the  air,  and  arbitration 
is  taking  the  place  of  war,  as  a  means  of  settling 
disputes." 

"  What  is  the  primary  basis  of  this  new  social 
order  ?  " 

"  Simply  to  carry  out  Christ's  new  commandment, 
'  that  ye  love  one  another  ;  as  I  have  loved  you,  that 
ye  also  love  one  another.'  There  are  no  other  laws 
governing  it.  There  is  no  other  creed  contained 
therein." 


88  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

"  But  how  can  you  guard  against  the  invasion  of 
ambition  and  a  perversion  of  the  lofty  aims  of  the 
society  by  the  necessarily  imperfect  men  who  compose 
its  directors  ?  " 

"  In  the  atmosphere  of  the  electric  globes,  man's 
nature  is  placed  in  accord  with  the  laws  of  the  universe, 
which  are  governed  by  justice  and  love.  When  the 
Council  meets,  an  improper  thought  would  break  the 
harmony  and  strike  a  discordant  note  upon  the  central 
globe,  like  a  clap  of  thunder.  Every  member  knows 
that  his  every  act  and  thought  is  laid  bare,  and  re- 
corded at  every  central  station.  Even  if  this  were 
not  a  protection,  I  should  defy  any  one  to  have  his 
eyes  really  opened  to  the  meanness  of  the  motives  of 
ordinary  life  and  ambition,  and  ever  consent  to  leave 
this  life  of  serenity  and  of  high  purpose  (with  the 
mirror  of  the  real  world  constantly  before  his  eyes), 
for  the  dull  incidents  of  the  life  of  an  ordinary 
ambition." 


90 


CHAPTER  X. 

AN  EXPLANATION   OF  THE   ANTI-MATERIALISTIC  WAVE 
N<  >W    MOVING    OVER   THE    CIVILIZED    WORLD. 

"  But  can  every  one  be  brought  in  accord  with  the 
laws  of  electrical  harmony  ?  " 

"Not  always.  There  is  no  one  who  has  not  an 
inner  nature  better  than  its  exterior ;  but,  with  some, 
this  is  so  deeply  hidden  as  to  make  necessary  several 
generations  of  development.  We  take  the  most  favor- 
able natures  first  and  impress  them.  You  have  ob- 
served that  great  popular  movements  come  often  with- 
out much  preliminary  agitation.  The  electrical  current 
that  runs  through  an  excited  crowd  moving  as  a  mob 
will  often  produce  deeds  of  cruelty  the  individual 
would  contemplate  only  with  horror.  It  is  important 
to  control  and  direct  the  thought  waves  for  the  good  ; 
that  is  one  of  the  subjects  sought  to  be  accomplished 
by  the  directors  at  the  central  stations.  You  have, 
doubtless,  observed  the  recent  interest  in  spiritual 
things,  now  so  prevalent  in  Europe.  Works  upon 
Theosophy,  Occultism,  Spiritualism  and  ghost  stories 
are  sold  by  the  thousands.  This  is  owing  to  a  spiritual, 
anti-material  wave  now  constantly  being  sent  out  from 
the  Central  station  in  this  house." 

"  Do  you  encourage  Spiritualism  ?  " 

"  As  it  is  generally  understood,  no.      But  even   that, 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  91 

with  its  wildest  absurdities,  is  better  than  gross  ma- 
terialism. But  Spiritualism,  as  construed  by  mediums 
in  the  form  of  table-tipping,  the  summoning  of  spirits 
from  the  vasty  deep  to  tell  Susan  whether  James  is  in 
love  with  her,  or  the  stock-broker  how  stocks  will 
move,  is  even  now  out  of  date.  If  there  is  nothing 
better  in  the  next  world  than  a  return  to  this  to  act  as 
the  messenger  of  a  medium,  working,  for  money,  to 
serve  the  vulgar  or  selfish  curiosity  of  credulous 
visitors,  then  the  next  world  is  vastly  inferior  to  this. 
But  Spiritualism  in  the  highest  sense,  the  reaching  up 
to  a  higher  power  for  support,  the  belief  in  inspiration 
for  those  who  are  worthy  to  receive  it,  we  fully  believe, 
for  we  know  some  of  the  finest  modern  compositions 
are  mere  copies  of  tones  flashed  to  our  Central  station 
in  the  Himalayas  from  higher  and  more  distant  spheres. 
It  is  at  this  station  that  we  are  studying  the  questions 
of  the  highest  interest.  It  is  there  that  we  have  estab- 
lished connection  with  the  other  worlds,  through  the 
power  to  transfer  thought  upon  the  great  electric 
wave-conductors  of  the  universe.  Full  histories  of 
these  worlds  will  be  published  in  an  age  when  the 
public  will  be  educated  sufficiently  to  comprehend. 
Now  the  ordinary  scientists  of  the  earth  would  regard 
such  publications  as  emanations  from  a  mad-house." 

"  Have  you  sought  to  absolutely  prove  that  there  is 
another  world  for  us  after  this  ?  " 

"  No.  That  is  no  more  necessary  for  one  who  has 
studied  the  law  of  the  electric  forces  of  the  universe 
through  our  globes,  than  it  would  be  to  prove  the  sun 
shines.     We  are  constantly  working,  when  in  full  elec- 


92  THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 

trie  harmony,  in  the  flood  of  the  light  of  love  of  the 
central  universe,  and  we  see  and  have  every  moment 
the  evidences  of  another  life,  as  convincing  as  the 
light  that  shines  indicates  the  sun  as  its  dispensing 
power.  We  seek  to  avoid  the  so-called  supernatural, 
and  keep  to  the  development  in  the  highest  degree  of 
the  possibilities  of  the  life  on  this  earth.  It  is  here 
that  we  are  to  be  made  worthy  of  a  higher  life.  Our 
Inner  society  now  holds  within  its  hands  the  seeds  of 
the  millenium." 

"  Have  you  the  power  to  reach  the  perfect  existence 
here  ?  " 

"  For  the  few  only.  We  have  abolished  from  among 
us  disease  or  pain.  Electricity,  as  the  remedial  agent, 
has  done  this.  We  cannot  perform  the  miracle  of  re- 
storing the  actual  loss  of  physical  organs,  nor  can  we 
more  than  postpone  the  day  of  death,  but  we  prevent 
the  inroads  of  disease  by  electric  guards.  As  our 
system  is  at  present  organized,  we  select  as  members 
of  our  society  only  those  possessing  good  physical  or- 
ganizations. With  the  perfection  of  existence  will 
come  the  perfection  of  government.  When  once 
Christ's  commandment  of  love  is  fully  lived  up  to,  the 
necessity  for  all  governments,  such  as  those  now  organ- 
ized, will  no  longer  exist.  No  one  will  seek  to  injure 
or  wrong  his  neighbor,  and  as  government  is  organized 
for  the  protection  of  the  individual,  when  he  no  longer 
needs  protection  the  usefulness  of  government  is  at  an 
end.  Our  work  is  now  to  prepare  the  public — to  im- 
press it  in  new  directions." 

"  Have  you  no  fear  of  being  disturbed  in  your  work 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE.  93 

by  political  organizations  jealous  of  the  power  of  the 
Central  Council?" 

"  No.  Our  control  of  affairs  is  by  indirection  and 
by  the  impression  of  thought-transference.  We  break 
110  laws.  We  seek  no  fruits  of  power.  An  electric 
current  surrounds  each  one  of  our  stations,  through 
which  no  one  not  invited  by  us,  or  affiliated  with  us, 
can  pass.  Our  interference  is  only  for  the  purpose  of 
doing  good.  Our  progress  is  slow,  as  the  world  is 
crusted  throughout  every  social  channel  with  stupid, 
gross  materialism,  and  a  selfishness  perfectly  inhuman. 
Murders  the  most  atrocious,  crimes  the  most  terrible, 
and  suffering  the  most  piteous  in  character,  make  no 
impression  upon  the  hardened  sympathies  of  modern 
civilization,  while  the  mere  suggestion  of  religious 
thought  is  coupled   by  the  world  with  weak  mentality. 

"  In  no  place  do  we  find  so  much  need  of  reform  as 
in  the  churches  themselves,  and  in  no  place  do  we  meet 
with  such  resistance  to  the  waves  of  love  constantly 
sent  towards  them  from  our  central  stations.  What 
member  of  any  church  follows  to-day  strictly  in  the 
path  of  his  Master?  Who  of  them  would  dare  to  fol- 
low His  poverty,  His  obscurity,  and  His  suffering? 
There  we  have  found  so  much  resistance  from  those 
intrenched  in  authority,  backed  by  the  accumulations 
of  wealth,  that  we  have  turned  our  batteries  upon  the 
people  themselves.  The  organization  of  the  Salvation 
Army  is  the  direct  result  of  the  central  London  sta- 
tion. Its  rapid  growth  is  owing  to  the  stimulus  of  our 
stations  throughout  the  world." 

"  But  the  Salvation  Army  is  ridiculed  even  by  the 


94  THE   DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 

churches,  and  every  one  feels  qualified  to  look  upon  its 
members  with  pitying  contempt." 

"Yes;  but  it  is  almost  the  only  religious  organiza- 
tion in  the  world  to-day  whose  members  are  honestly 
seeking  to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  Christ.  They  are 
poor.  Their  lives  are  consecrated  to  poverty,  to  the 
renunciation  of  self,  while  they  do  not  shut  themselves 
up  in  dreary  prisons,  seeking  the  purity  of  asceticism, 
but  walk  into  the  thickest  rush  of  life  to  carry  the  light 
of  love  and  truth  to  the  poorest,  the  lowest,  and  the 
most  debased." 

"  But " 

"  Stop,  before  another  word.  Come  with  me  to  the 
globe  and  let  us  look,  for  a  moment,  upon  the  hourly 
work  of  one  of  the  members  of  this  band."  I  turned 
to  the  globe,  and  I  saw,  instantly,  a  dark,  noisome 
alley  in  the  east  end  of  London.  A  young  girl,  with  a 
white,  resolute  face,  dressed  in  a  robe  of  dark-blue, 
wearing  the  bonnet  of  the  Army,  now  appeared  alone. 
She  walked  through  the  alley  and  ascended  the  stair- 
way of  a  tenement,  crowded  in  all  its  quarters  with  the 
homes  of  the  poor.  Upon  one  floor  I  saw  three 
families,  crowded  like  animals,  fifteen  in  all,  in  one 
room.  Oaths,  imprecations  and  quarreling  were  heard 
on  all  sides.  Here  dwelt  the  criminal  and  the  outcast. 
Stalwart  drunkards,  dissolute  women,  sleeping  in  a 
dull,  sodden  stupor,  little  children  poisoned  in  the  foul 
atmosphere,  desolate  mothers,  and  discouraged  work- 
men, made  up  a  population  of  misery  that  can  be 
found  everywhere,  every  day  in  the  year,  in  any  of  the 
slums  of  the  great  cities.     I  shuddered  at  the  thought 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE.  95 

of  this  young  girl  coming  in  contact  with  this  vile 
throng.  But  her  uniform  made  her  sacred.  I  saw  even 
the  vilest  of  criminals  give  way  before  her  with  respect. 
I  did  not  hear  her  say  one  word  about  religion.  She 
came  to  help,  and  in  any  way  she  could,  the  poor  and 
suffering.  She  shamed  the  most  dissolute  by  asking 
permission  to  help  clean  up  their  dreary  rooms.  Soon 
she  was  joined  by  a  companion,  and  for  nearly  an  hour 
I  watched  these  brave  girls  carrying  water  into  rooms 
that  never  had  been  cleaned,  dressing  the  children  of 
drunken  parents,  steadfastly  working  in  the  grim  and 
noisome  atmosphere,  with  the  patience  and  loving 
energy  of  so  many  angels  of  light. 

"Now,"  said  Mortimer  Mortimer,  "study  well  the 
work  of  these  women." 

"  Do  they  do  this  every  day  ?  " 

"  Every  day  of  their  lives." 

"  But  surely  they  do  not  spend  all  of  their  lives 
here?  " 

"That  is  what  they  do.  They  would  have  no  influ- 
ence if  they  did  not  come  and  live  among  these  people. 
In  the  darkest  quarters  these  missionaries  take  rooms, 
clean  one  spot  in  this  foul  quarter,  and  then  work,  as 
no  domestic  servant  ever  has  worked,  to  fight  the  devil 
of  dirt  with  soap  and  pure  water.  You  cannot  touch 
these  people  until  they  are  made  clean  and  fed.  Every 
day  some  devoted  heroine  in  this  Army  loses  her  life 
from  disease  or  exposure.  They  nurse  the  newly- 
born,  train  the  growing,  and  close  the  eyes  of  the 
dying.  They  accept  poverty  as  their  share.  They 
know  that  they  must  be  obscure,  and  that  they  may 


96  THE   DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 

fall  in  the  first  period  of  their  engagement,  but  their 
courage  never  hesitates.  Yet  the  poet  who  celebrates 
the  deeds  of  the  hero  who,  crazed  by  excitement, 
charges  into  the  jaws  of  death  upon  a  mission  of  mur- 
der, would  never  dream  of  looking  into  the  life  of  a 
brave  Salvation  Army  lass  for  a  subject  for  his  cantos. 
This  movement  is  growing,  and  we  intend  that  it  shall, 
in  the  end,  revolutionize  the  churches,  until  they  wake 
to  their  duty  and  go  forth  to  try  to  equal,  if  possible, 
the  good  now  being  accomplished  by  the  only  religious 
organization  on  the  face  of  the  globe  that  has  a  place 
or  a  thought  for  the  outcast  and  the  criminal  poor." 


97 


CHAPTER    XI. 

THE     MEETING     OF     THE     COUNCIL     OF     TEN,     WHICH 
GOVERNS   THE    WORLD. 

I  do  not  know  how  much  longer  this  conversation 
might  have  continued,  nor  how  many  more  scenes 
might  have  been  shown  me,  had  there  not,  suddenly, 
appeared  upon  the  globe  a  signal  which  I  did  not  com- 
prehend. 

Mortimer  Mortimer  said  :  "  It  is  a  signal  for  a  meet- 
ing of  the  Council  of  Ten.  Wait ;  I  want  to  ask  a 
question." 

He  now  turned  towards  the  globe,  and,  in  a  moment, 
there  came  back  the  answer,  "yes,"  in  the  Morse 
characters. 

"  I  have  asked  permission  to  connect  you  with  the 
council-chamber,  that  you  may  both  see  and  hear  the 
proceedings  of  that  body.  You  have  been  examined 
and  accepted  as  a  member,  on  probation,  of  one  of  the 
Inner  societies,  and  we  shall  rely  upon  your  pen  as 
your  contribution  towards  the  work.  You  shall  be  a 
thought-wave  in  action,  impelled  by  the  power  that  is 
above  us.  But  you  are  to  be  taught  many  things  be- 
fore you  return  to  the  world  again." 

"  But  when  was  I  accepted  as  a  member  ?  " 

"  Yesterday." 

"But  how?" 


98  THE   DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 

"  The  electrical  register  in  the  Council  reported 
yesterday,  about  noon,  that  your  system  indicated  one 
hundred  in  the  scale  of  harmony.  That  entitled  you 
to  be  recorded  as  an  acceptable  candidate." 

"  But  I  made  no  pledges.     I  have  taken  no  oaths." 

"  None  are  necessary.  With  our  system,  personal  ex- 
amination might,  in  the  end,  lead  to  deception.  The 
electrical  register  of  a  man's  inner  character  never  lies." 

"  How  long  am  I  to  remain  ?  " 

"  Until  you,  yourself,  wish  to  go  so  as  to  be  at  work. 
It  will  not  be  long.  Remember,  too,  that  when  you 
are  gone  from  this  station,  and  appear  in  the  world, 
you  will  still  be  in  constant  touch  with  us.  All  of  our 
central  stations  will  be  open  to  you.  Before  you  go, 
you  will  be  given  an  electrical  ball,  similar  to  the 
one  you  saw  with  me  in  the  Victoria  Gallery.  By  its 
aid  you  can  communicate  always  with  the  central 
stations  for  advice  or  information.  Be  careful  not  to 
lose  it,  though  in  strange  hands  it  would  have  no  more 
use  than  an  ordinary  telegraph  instrument  in  the  hands 
of  a  savage.  Besides  this,  your  will  is  to  be  strength- 
ened to  the  grade  of  one  thousand.  Each  member  of 
the  Council  of  Ten  has  a  will  worked  up  by  electrical 
processes,  so  that,  by  union  with  the  globe,  it  represents 
a  degree  of  one  hundred  thousand.  That  is,  the  will 
of  one  such  member  is  equal  to  the  united  wills  of  that 
number  of  people.  For  the  purpose  of  thought-trans- 
ference, solely,  to  distant  spheres,  this  strength  of  will 
can,  by  union  with  other  mechanical  devices,  be  worked 
up  to  a  billion.  But  you  will  find  out  all  about  these 
things  soon,  so  that  they  will  not   excite  your  surprise. 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  99 

They  would  have  all  been  known  to  mankind  long  ago, 
if  the  minds  of  men  were  not  so  clouded  by  materialism 
and  disbelief  in  everything  not  represented  by  money 
or  some  equivalent." 

With  this  Mortimer  Mortimer  withdrew,  saying  that 
the  Council  was  about  to  meet,  and  while  he  could  take 
part  in  its  proceedings  by  remaining  with  me,  there 
were  advantages  secured  by  coming  in  actual  personal 
contact  with  his  associates,  and  so  he  left  me  awake 
with  curiosity  concerning  the  proceedings  of  the 
Council  that  secretly  ruled  the  world. 

I  had  been,  for  years,  in  attendance  upon  Congress 
in  my  own  country,  had  studied  the  House  of  Parlia- 
ment in  London,  the  proceedings  of  the  Corps  Legis- 
latif  in  France,  the  Cortes  in  Madrid,  the  Reichstag  in 
Berlin,  in  fact,  had  been  a  witness  of  the  methods  of 
legislative  proceedings  in  the  various  leading  countries 
of  the  world,  where  selfish  interests  entirely  predomi- 
nated. At  last  I  was  to  be  a  witness  of  the  proceed- 
ings of  a  Supreme  Council,  whose  single  rule  of  pro- 
cedure was  unselfishness,  and  whose  code  was  a  pure 
love  for  mankind. 

Need  I  say  that  I  rubbed  my  eyes  wide  open  and 
was  all  attention  when  the  globe  sounded  and  I  read 
the  message  :  "  The  Council  is  about  to  meet  "  ? 

Hardly  had  my  friend,  Mortimer  Mortimer,  left  the 
room,  when  I  addressed  my  most  earnest  attention  to 
the  globe.  I  had,  previously,  found  that  concentration 
of  attention  upon  the  subject  under  consideration  was 
of  vital  importance,  for  the  scenes  shifted  with  the  cur- 
rent of  the  thought,  and,  unless  the  thought  was  clear, 


IOO  THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 

the  scenes  in  the  globe  were  dim.  A  dull  person,  with 
but  little  imagination  or  interest  in  things,  would  not 
see  much  in  the  globe,  beyond  a  succession  of  blurred, 
disconnected  visions. 

I  was  much  excited  at  the  thought  of  having  an  op- 
portunity to  look  behind  the  scenes  and  watch  the 
powers  which  govern  the  world  at  work.  At  first  I 
could  not  see  clearly  ;  but  this  dimness  of  vision  con- 
tinued only  for  a  moment.  Then  I  saw  a  large,  wide 
room,  with  lofty  ceilings.  It  was  a  council  chamber, 
worthy  of  the  powerful  body  to  be  assembled  there. 
It  was  somber-hued  in  its  furnishings.  The  ceiling  was 
light,  but  divided  off  into  heavily-framed  circles.  The 
light  surface  of  each  was  covered  by  a  map  of  some 
one  of  the  various  countries  of  the  world.  The  center 
circle  was  larger  than  any  of  the  others,  and  upon  it 
was  outlined  the  plane  of  the  world. 

This  shifted,  in  alternating  flashes  of  light,  showing 
first  the  old  world  and  then  the  new.  The  brilliant 
colors  of  the  coats-of-arms  of  the  various  countries 
showed  in  brilliant  relief  in  the  center  of  the  other 
circles.  The  woodwork  of  the  room,  which  included 
the  polished  floor,  the  high  and  polished  wainscot,  and 
the  broad,  heavily-carved  frieze,  had  the  rich  warmth 
of  color  of  old  Spanish  mahogany. 

Large,  high-backed  chairs  with  arms,  broad  and 
strong  enough  for  giants,  were  placed  about  a  heavy, 
round  table  which  stood  in  the  center  of  the  room. 
Places  were  arranged  for  ten.  In  front  of  each  seat 
was  a  sensitized  paper  similar  to  the  one  under  the 
globe  in  the  room  where  I  was.     Suspended  above  the 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  IOI 

table  was  also  a  globe,  about  three  feet  in  diameter. 
It  looked  very  large  in  comparison  with  the  globe  in 
my  room.  When  I  first  began  to  see  this  room  dis- 
tinctly, it  was  unoccupied.  I  should  add,  here,  that  this 
room,  apparently,  had  no  windows.  The  central  globe 
furnished  a  clear  light,  so  well  diffused  that  there  was 
not  a  dark  spot  or  corner  in  the  room,  while  under  the 
table  the  shadow  was  a  faint  gray. 

Soon  I  heard  a  low  sound  of  music,  and  the  portieres 
at  the  right  parted,  and  the  Council  of  Ten  entered 
and  quickly  took  their  places  around  the  table.  I  was 
astonished  to  find  that  this  Council  of  Ten  was  divided 
equally  in  its  membership  between  the  two  sexes.  All 
wore  evening  dress.  The  men  were  of  varying  types. 
The  eldest  was  a  venerable  sage,  while  the  youngest 
was  not  older  than  Lord  Robert  Melrose.  The  ladies 
of  this  august  circle  were  of  the  highest  types.  Their 
faces  were  beautiful  and  intelligent.  All  were  richly 
dressed  and  had  an  air  of  great  ease  and  refinement. 

There  was  no  chief  in  this  Council  to  sit  in  any  post 
of  honor.  There  was  no  order  of  precedence.  No  one 
had  a  special  seat,  and  no  rule  seemed  to  prevail  for 
the  seating  of  the  Council,  beyond  the  one  of  alternat- 
ing the  sexes.  Naturally,  my  attention  was  arrested 
by  the  novel  sight  of  women  seated  as  peers  of  men  in 
this  high  board  of  administration.  The  eldest  of  the 
five  ladies  was  at  the  right  of  the  picture  as  it  appeared 
in  the  globe  before  me.  She  was,  at  least,  sixty  years 
of  age.  Her  hair  was  snowy  white  and  combed  in  a 
thick,  high,  rolling  mass  from  a  broad  forehead.  Her 
eyes  were  dark.      Her  complexion   was    of   a    childlike 


102  THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 

fairness,  and  her  regular  features  were  overshadowed 
by  a  look  of  gentleness  that  would  have  subdued  a 
savage.  She  wore  a  black  lace  dress  that  set  off  the 
lines  of  her  robust,  womanly  figure.  Diamonds  flashed 
in  her  hair  and  at  her  throat.  Her  arms  and  hands 
would  have  done  credit  to  a  young  woman. 

Three  of  the  other  ladies  were  of  ripe  years,  also, 
with  forceful  faces  and  calm  manners.  They  secured, 
however,  but  casual  notice  from  me.  I  passed  them 
rapidly  in  review,  and  then,  not  pausing  to  examine  the 
faces  of  the  grave  and  serious  men,  who  sat  with  their 
earnest  gaze  fixed  upon  the  globe,  my  eyes  swiftly 
turned  to  the  one  who  was,  for  the  moment,  the  over- 
shadowing figure  of  the  circle  to  me. 

The  fifth  lady  was  the  personification  of  all  the 
beauty  that  is  to  be  found  in  youth,  encased  in  a  body 
abounding  in  health  of  absolute  perfection.  What 
words  can  give  one  an  idea  of  such  youth,  in  such  per- 
fection ?  Her  form  showed  the  noble  lines  of  a  god- 
dess, while  her  face  was  radiant  with  life,  purity  and 
high  purpose.  It  needs  the  actual  sight  to  obtain  any 
impression  of  her  charms.  I  knew  but  few  of  the 
great  ladies  of  the  world  of  London,  and  so  I  could 
not,  for  the  moment,  determine  the  nationality  or 
social  position  of  the  one  who  seemed,  to  me,  by 
natural  right,  to  be  above  any  rank.  A  feeling  of  the 
most  passionate  admiration  filled  my  mind.  It  was  so 
intense  that  it  must  have  communicated  itself  as  a 
message  to  its  object.  She  gravely  turned,  for  a 
moment,  in  my  direction,  smiled,  and  then  turned  her 
attention  again  to  the  work  in  the  council  chamber. 


103 


CHAPTER  XII. 

A    STUDY   OF    THE    WORKINGS    OF    THIS     MYSTERIOUS 
COUNCIL. 

I  studied  for  a  long  time  the  workings  of  the 
Council  before  I  fully  understood  its  methods,  the 
great  power  exercised  by  this  circle,  and  its  daring 
grasp  of  the  questions  of  the  day.  Instead  of  seeking 
to  act  as  a  recorder  of  any  portion  of  the  proceedings, 
I  will  give  a  few  general  facts  noted  during  my  first 
hour  of  observation.  I  could  not  give  more  if  I  would, 
and  I  have  no  desire  to  say  one  word  that  could  in  any 
way  injure  the  cause  of  those  who  have  trusted  me. 

I  first  observed  that,  while  no  one  was  in  absolute 
authority,  Mortimer  appeared  for  the  time  to  be  the 
directing  mind.  It  was  he  who  made  suggestions  and 
introduced  subjects  to  be  considered.  I  learned,  later, 
that  the  direction  of  the  Council  passed  in  turns  around 
the  circle  at  each  meeting.  Each  was  engaged  in  work- 
ing for  unselfish  purposes,  and,  as  no  personal  ambition 
was  possible  within  the  circle,  perfect  courtesy  and 
consideration  prevailed.  The  speech  or  comment  of 
the  director's  mind  was  taken  up  by  the  one  who,  by 
chance,  sat  at  his  right  hand,  and  so  the  talk  or  the 
presentation  of  opinions  passed  around  the  circle. 

Differences  of  opinion  occurred,  but  when  it  came 
to  final  action,  the   best   judgment  or   suggestion   pre- 


104  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

vailed,  as  if  the  Council,  being  ruled  by  higher  purposes 
than  mere  self,  had  infallible  guides  to  lead  them  to 
what  was  the  best. 

Each  subject,  such  as  the  condition  of  a  particular 
nation,  was  shown  by  a  succession  of  pictures  passing 
over  the  face  of  the  globe.  The  tremendous  struggles 
of  an  overweighted  humanity,  fighting  for  a  place  of 
security,  the  rapt  and  insolent  selfishness  of  the  few 
who,  by  chance  or  good  fortune,  were  placed  above  the 
universal  law  of  contest,  were  given  in  clear,  sharp  and 
distinct  pictures. 

The  attention  of  the  Council  was  first  directed  to 
European  affairs.  I  learned,  to  my  great  surprise,  that 
two  of  the  most  imposing  potentates  in  Europe  had 
direct  affiliations  with  the  Council  of  Ten,  and  co- 
operated with  it. 

I  saw,  for  the  first  time,  the  wise,  serene  face  of  Lee 
XIII.,  which  appeared  in  the  globe  soon  after  the 
meeting  of  the  Council.  I  saw  him  sitting,  alone,  in  the 
privacy  of  his  palace,  in  his  robes  of  white,  turning  his 
gentle  eyes  upon  the  Council,  who  were  brought  in 
direct  accord  with  him  through  a  globe  suspended 
over  his  library  desk.  I  learned  that  it  was  through 
his  desire  for  peace  and  goodness  to  dominate  selfish- 
ness that  he  had  been  brought  to  work  in  harmony 
with  the  powerful  Council  of  Ten.  He  saw  them  only 
as  in  a  vision,  but  their  influence  was  ever  at  his  right 
hand.  I  now  understood,  for  the  first  time,  some  of 
the  apparent  contradictions  of  his  political  actions, 
and  why  the  influence  of  his  holy  office  was  now 
constantly  turning  from   the  old  forms  of  monarchical 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  105 

rules  to  the  best  forms  of  self-government  inspired  by 
modern  democracy.  I  saw  that  the  lifting  of  the  little 
finger  of  this  great  prelate  would,  at  once,  bring 
about  the  fall  of  the  monarch)',  and  the  rise  of  a 
republic  in  Italy.  But  the  people  were  not  yet  ripe  for 
this  change.  At  present  it  could  not  be  brought 
about  without  the  shedding  of  blood,  so  the  influences 
watched  and  waited.  I  now  understood  why  the  holy 
father  of  the  Catholic  Church  immures  himself  in  the 
Vatican  and  no  longer  goes  in  the  world.  What  need 
had  he  of  the  world  ?  It  lay  before  him  in  the  flashing 
scenes  of  the  globe,  and  his  every  working  moment  is 
needed  to  devise  some  plan  for  the  relief  of  suffering 
and  cruelty,  daily  disclosed  to  him. 

I  saw,  secluded  in  his  closely-guarded  castle  at 
Gatschina,  the  Imperial  Czar  of  all  the  Russias,  and 
learned  that  it  was  not  through  fear  of  the  Nihilists 
that  he  remained  so  constantly  out  of  sight  of  the 
public.  He,  too,  was  closely  affiliated  with  the  Council 
of  Ten,  and  upon  him  they  showered  all  their  influence, 
making  him  the  one  mighty  war  lord  enlisted  upon  the 
side  of  peace,  so  that,  while  he  lives,  war  is  moved 
farther  and  farther  away. 

After  this  I  saw  pass  in  review  the  various  royalties 
of  Europe.  All  were  subject,  directly,  to  the  influences 
of  the  Council,  but  only  the  Czar  and  the  Pope  were 
conscious  of  the  influence,  and  in  direct  contact  with 
it.  The  German  Emperor  I  saw  as  he  was  changing 
from  a  wild  and  dissolute  youth  into  a  strong,  forceful 
power,  marching  in  high  directions,  but  moving  in 
erratic  curves  of  action,  owing  to  the  pressure  brought 


I06  THE   DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 

to  bear  upon  him.  I  saw  numerous  royalties,  stupid, 
eaten  up  with  petty  vanities,  imagining  themselves  as 
specially  authorized  by  God  Almighty  to  lead  empty, 
vain,  animal  lives,  without  one  thought  of  the  respon- 
sibilities toward  the  people  in  their  charge.  I  saw  dis- 
graceful downfalls  preparing  for  them  before  the  swift- 
rising  tide  of  republicanism  visible  throughout  the  length 
and  breadth  of  Europe  to-day. 

I  saw  one  monarch  near  to  the  time  when  he  would 
be  deemed  worthy  to  enter  into  the  affiliation  with  the 
Council  of  Ten.  This  was  the  gracious  King  of 
Belgium,  who  has  devoted  his  life  and  private  fortune 
to  stamping  out  the  murderous  slave  trade  of  Africa. 
Instead  of  taking  his  ease  and  fattening  upon  the  spoils 
of  his  position,  his  eyes,  blinded  by  tears  of  sympathy, 
had  turned  towards  the  negroes  of  Africa,  tortured  by 
the  rapacious  slave-traders,  whose  murders  in  one  year 
reached  the  astonishing  number  of  one  hundred  thou- 
sand. If  it  had  not  been  for  his  gentle  yielding  to  the 
imperious  impression  sent  him  by  the  Council  of  Ten, 
the  mob  in  Brussels  would  have  been  shot  down  by 
the  orders  of  his  ministers,  mere  selfish  politicians, 
when  the  workingmen  arose  and  justly  demanded  an 
increase  in  their  suffrage  rights. 

I  observed  that  the  movement  to  increase  the 
armed  forces  of  Europe,  the  stimulus  to  increased  skill 
in  the  manufacture  of  devices  to  kill,  came  directly  from 
the  Council  of  Ten.  They  sought  thus  to  make  war 
odious  and  terrible,  and  so  add  a  bulwark  to  the  edifice 
of  peace. 

As  the  scenes  flashed   in   rapid   succession   upon  the 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  107 

globe,  the  discussion  of  this  inspired  Council  ran  on 
with  the  musical,  murmuring  evenness  of  a  brook, 
running  on  over  smoothly-worn  surfaces,  down  the 
incline  of  thought  to  the  broader  sea  of  accomplish- 
ment. The  smallest  subject,  the  sorrows  of  an 
individual,  were  as  often  considered  as  affairs  of 
national  or  world-wide  importance.  Those  who  were 
struggling  upwards  in  any  calling  of  life,  who  showed 
any  indication  of  a  noble  character,  were  observed,  or 
noted  upon  the  records  of  the  society,  and  later  were 
commended  to  the  care  of  some  of  the  smaller  stations. 
Small  lapses  from  the  path  of  high  endeavor  were  not 
noticed.  The  spirit  of  forgiveness  and  charity  hovered 
over  every  judgment.  Even  the  worst  of  men  were 
shown,  in  rapidly-flying  reflections,  to  have  qualities 
that  occasionally  made  them  subject  to  the  influence 
of  the  Council  of  Ten. 

Each  one  of  the  Inner  council  lives  in  the  world. 
They  are  all  independent,  each  one  answerable  only  to 
himself ;  but  to  describe,  more  closely,  their  positions 
and  their  actual  relations  with  the  busy  world  where 
they  are  known,  would  require  a  knowledge  not  given 
me. 

The  Council  elects  its  own  members,  and  when  a 
vacancy  occurs,  through  death  or  absence,  the  gap  is 
filled  with  one  of  the  best  members  of  the  smaller 
societies.  No  one  who  has  not  utterly  conquered  selfish- 
ness can  ever  be  considered  as  a  candidate  here.  More 
than  this,  knowledge  and  administrative  ability  are 
needed  to  obtain  a  seat  at  the  round  table  of  this 
modern   and    model    government.       This    information 


108  THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 

came  to  me  in  a  direct  message  from  Mortimer 
Mortimer. 

I  was  strongly  interested  in  the  equal  participation 
of  women  in  the  Council,  and  to  see  how  strongly  their 
keenness  of  vision,  their  refinement  and  tenderness  of 
heart,  supplemented  the  strength  and  audacity  of  the 
men.  Yet  I  saw  this  Council  united,  battling  in  vain 
to  overcome  the  adamantine  wall  of  selfishness  of 
women,  in  the  treatment  of  the  fallen  of  their  own  sex. 

The  session  lasted  for  nearly  two  hours.  Towards 
the  last,  my  attention  was  concentrated  upon  one 
member,  only,  of  the  Council.  I  could  only  see  her  as 
she  sat  at  the  table.  I  was  powerless  to  disengage  her 
attention  from  the  Council  and  its  proceedings.  My 
will  was  too  weak  to  compel  the  slightest  message  re- 
garding her  individuality.  I  see  her  now,  as  I  write, 
my  heart  throbbing  with  the  bitter-sweet  memory  of 
the  picture  she  presented  as  she  sat  in  this  council  of 
administration,  charged  with  the  remedying  of  the  evils 
of  a  suffering  world.  Her  white  satin  dress,  and  the 
pearls  which  she  wore,  set  off  her  fair  and  radiant 
beauty.  Her  face  was  a  pure  oval.  Her  color  was 
fair  and  delicate.  Her  eyes  were  dark,  showing  soft 
and  clear  between  the  long  lashes,  under  perfectly- 
lined  brows.  Her  nose  was  a  pure  Grecian.  Her 
mouth  was  full  and  small,  disclosing  even,  white  teeth, 
as  she  spoke  or  smiled.  Her  hair,  a  reddish  brown, 
was  combed  high  from  her  forehead  and  gathered  in 
a  regal  crown  upon  the  top  of  the  gracefully-poised 
head.  But  her  mere  physical  beauty  was  enhanced  a 
thousand-fold  by  the  inner  light   of  a   noble  soul,  that 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  109 

shone  through  the  transparent  mask   of  her  emotional 
countenance. 

As  I  looked,  the  light  in  the  globe  faded,  and  I  saw- 
nothing.  I  looked  for  hours  for  something  more,  hut 
nothing  came  ;  then,  exhausted  by  the  many  emotions 
of  the  day,  at  midnight  I  fell  into  a  sleep  broken  by 
dreams. 


v~VA&  ■• 


"I   FOUND   MYSELF   BACK   IN    MY    ROOMS    IN   HALF-MOON    STREET."      Page    111. 


1 1 1 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

A    RETURN   TO    NORMAL   CONDITIONS. 

When  next  my  eyes  opened,  I  found  myself  back- 
in  my  rooms  in  Half-Moon  street.  Lord  Robert  Mel- 
rose was  at  my  side. 

"Well,"  said  he,  "when  did  you  come  in  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  know." 

"  Do  not  know  ?  You  have  been  absent  for  ten  days, 
and  without  leaving  a  word  of  explanation.  Your  edi- 
torial director  has  added  you  to  the  list  of  mysterious 
disappearances.  Here  you  are,  in  your  bedroom,  just 
waked  up  from  a  mid-day  sleep.  Were  you  dropped 
through  the  ceiling?" 

"  I  repeat,  I  do  not  know." 

"  Well,  if  you  do  not  know,  who  does  ?  " 

"  Let  me  ask  you,  has  anything  been  heard  of  your 
father,  the  Duke  of  Wex?" 

"  There  has  been  no  sign  from  him,  not  one  word  to 
indicate  where  he  has  gone.  But,  nevertheless,  I  think 
I  know  the  explanation  of  his  absence." 

"  I  can  explain  to  you  the  reason  for  his  disappear- 
ing, if  you  do  not  really  know.  But,  honestly,  for  the 
present,  I  cannot  tell  you  how  I  came  to  be  back  here 
in  my  own  room.  However,  I  may  soon  be  enlight- 
ened." I  suddenly  thought  of  the  globe.  If  I  had  been 
returned  to  the  world  to  work  as  a  humble  assistant  of 


112  THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 

the  great  Central  organization,  then  I  must  have  the 
globe  that  was  promised  me  by  Mortimer  Mortimer. 
Otherwise,  I  could  have  no  means  of  communicating 
with  my  superiors,  and  would  possess  no  evidence  to 
disprove  that  my  recent  experience  in  the  Central 
Station  of  Light  was  not  a  dream. 

I  now  bounded  out  of  bed,  and  began  looking  for 
the  globe.  I  ran  through  the  pockets  of  my  clothing, 
like  a  madman,  and,  then,  to  my  horror,  I  found  noth- 
ing. I  turned  back  my  pillow — nothing.  I  tore  open 
the  bed — still  nothing.  I  sank  down  in  my  chair  in 
utter  despair.  Then  a  thought  flashed  into  mind  that 
this  was,  perhaps,  a  trial  of  my  independence.  I 
calmed  myself.  I  begged  Lord  Robert  to  excuse 
me  while  I  dressed,  as  I  said  :  "  I  will  see  you  in  the 
sitting-room  in  a  few  moments  and  tell  you  the  story 
of  my  absence." 

When  he  left  me,  I  dressed,  and  then  sat  down  in  a 
chair,  before  my  little  writing-desk.  I  wrote  upon  a 
sheet  of  paper  the  following  message,  addressed  to 
Mortimer  Mortimer:  "  I  thank  you  for  your  kindness 
to  me  in  the  Station  of  Light.  I  realize  now,  in  my 
return  to  the  world,  that  you  want  me  to  recover  my 
sense  of  independence.  You  do  not  wish  me  to  lean 
upon  any  system  of  central  aid  as  a  crutch  to  my  own 
halting  steps,  but  merely  to  use  it  as  a  stimulant  to 
help  me  advance  my  own  individuality." 

Hardly  had  the  ink  dried  up  on  this  message,  when 
there  appeared,  directly  under  it,  in  shadowy-traced 
lines:  "You  understand.  Have  such  faith  always  in 
us.  "  M.  M." 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  1  I  3 

As  I  read  this  brief  note,  I  was  content.  The  Cen- 
tral station  was,  after  all,  a  reality.  I  was  one  of  its 
later  disciples.  I  believed  that  I  was  to  first  find  the 
work  to  be  done,  and,  as  I  progressed,  I  would  have 
my  eyes  opened  more  and  more  to  the  beauties  of  the 
life  lived  and  directed  by  the  Council  of  Ten. 

There  was  now  a  pressure  in  my  hand,  and,  looking 
down,  I  saw  a  globe.  My  badge  of  office,  at  last,  had 
arrived,  and,  with  it,  a  sense  of  tranquility  and  power 
I  had  never  known  before.  I  hastily  placed  it  in  my 
pocket,  and  joined  Lord  Robert. 

He  was  profoundly  interested  in  my  story.  "  You 
are  to  be  envied,"  said  he.  "  I  am  prepared,  by  my  ex- 
periences in  the  Russian  society,  to  believe  readily 
what  you  tell.  I  have  suspected  something  of  this  kind 
for  some  time.  I  told  you  to  seek  Mortimer  Mortimer, 
you  know.  I  sought  him  this  morning  to  ask  him 
about  my  father." 

"  Did  you  see  him,  and  where  ?  " 

"  I  saw  him  in  the  Bank  of  England,  conferring  with 
one  of  the  governors.  I  had  business  in  the  bank,  and 
so  waited  for  him.  He  drove  me  back  to  my  club  in 
his  brougham.  He  was  upon  the  eve  of  leaving  Lon- 
don for  a  long  time,  he  told  me." 

"What  did  he  say  about  your  father?" 

"  Not  much  ;  but  enough  to  convince  me  that  I  had 
no  reason  to  worry  about  him.  He  also  told  me  that 
you  would  be  back  in  your  room  this  afternoon  ;  but 
in  what  way  you  were  to  come,  he  did  not  say.  None 
of  the  servants  saw  you  come  in  ;  and,  when  I  entered 
your  bedroom,  I  had  no  idea  you  were  really  returned, 


114  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

although  I  was  expecting  you.  By  the  way,  have  you 
taken  a  good  look  at  yourself  since  your  return?" 

"No." 

"  Well,  take  the  trouble.  If  I  had  not  known  you 
intimately,  I  would  not  have  recognized  you.  If  I  had 
met  you  outside,  I  fear  I  should  have  passed  you  by." 

I  ran  hastily  to  the  mirror,  over  the  mantel-piece,  in 
our  sitting-room,  and  there  I  saw  a  face,  strange,  wholly 
new  in  its  expression,  and  only  remotely  familiar.  While 
the  features  were  unchanged,  the  expression  under- 
lying them  was  so  different  as  to  produce  the  impres- 
sion of  another  individuality.  It  was  more  refined  and 
gentle,  and  there  was  an  accompanying  shadow  of 
force  and  resolution  that  created  a  wholly  new  type. 

Said  Lord  Robert :  "  It  is,  undoubtedly,  the  result  of 
the  development  of  one  of  your  sub-conscious  selves. 
It  is  the  better  part  of  your  individuality  that  has  come 
to  the  surface,  and  has  assumed  control.  I  can  under- 
stand how  such  influence  could,  in  a  very  short  time, 
make  you  wholly  unrecognizable  to  those  who  knew 
you  in  your  ordinary  stage  of  existence." 

"  But,  in  spirit,  I  feel  the  same." 

"  Yet,  but  are  you  not  conscious  of  a  different  in- 
fluence inspiring  your  actions  ?  Do  you  not,  now,  feel 
the  same  high  desire  to  serve  your  fellow-mortals  as 
when  you  were  a  guest  of  the  Central  Station  of 
Light  ?  " 

"  I  certainly  do." 

"  Then  you,  to  all  practical  purposes,  are  dead  to 
your  former  life.  If  you  were  to  walk  the  streets  of 
London    to-day,   you   would  escape   the  notice,   abso- 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE.  I  I  5 

lutely,  of  your  ordinal')-  acquaintances.  In  one  month 
from  now  you  would  not  be  recognized,  unless  you  so 
willed,  by  your  most  intimate  friend.  Although  re- 
turned to  me  and  to  my  friendship,  on  account  of  my 
past  affiliations,  you  have  disappeared  forever  from  the 
life  you  have  known.  Let  the  authorities  put  a  reward 
of  ,£100,000  sterling  on  your  head  for  your  discovery, 
and  you  can,  with  perfect  impunity,  call  at  Scotland 
Yard  and  talk  with  every  detective  employed  in  the 
case  without  awakening  suspicion." 

"  If  you  are  correct  in  your  theory,  then  this  explains 
the  perfect  disappearance  of  the  missing  people  noted 
in  my  original  observations  upon  this  subject." 

"  You,  to-day,  are  conscious  of  no  intellectual 
change  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all.  My  powers  seem  as  before.  I  am  sure 
I  am,  intellectually,  no  different.  My  disposition 
seems,  however,  to  be  wholly  changed.  I  feel  in  ab- 
solute harmony  with  the  high  directors  of  the  Central 
station."     I  spoke  with  fervor. 

As  I  said  this,  I  heard  a  dull  sound.  It  was  like  the 
note  of  a  distant,  tiny  bell.  It  came  from  the  globe  in 
my  pocket.     But  I  did  not  speak  of  this  to  my  friend. 


u6 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

COMPLETELY     CHANGED     THROUGH      PSYCHOLOGICAL 

INFLUENCES,    SO    THAT    EVEN    THE    "  WASP  " 

EDITOR   DOES   NOT   RECOGNIZE   ME. 

I  took  up  life  again,  as  I  had  known  it.  I  looked 
eagerly  for  some  path  in  life  where  I  could  be  of  ser- 
vice. My  first  duty  was  to  my  employer,  who  had 
sent  me  to  Europe.  I  wrote  for  him  the  story  as  I 
have  given  it  here  ;  but,  before  I  could  send  it,  I  saw  a 
copy  of  The  Wasp,  in  which  it  was  publicly  announced, 
under  flaring  headlines,  that  the  mysterious  disappear- 
ance of  Arthur  Livingstone,  the  special  correspondent 
of  The  Wasp,  had  been  rendered  doubly  mysterious 
by  the  return  of  the  exact  amount  The  Wasp  editor 
had  given  the  correspondent  upon  his  departure  for 
Europe  to  search  for  James  Musgrove. 

"  The  money,"  said  the  account,  "  came  in  the  shape 
of  a  draft  on  New  York,  drawn  by  the  Bank  of  Eng- 
land. No  explanation  came  with  it,  except  a  briefly- 
printed  line,  '  On  account  of  Arthur  Livingstone.'  " 

The  editor  added  :  "  Why  any  one  should  return 
money  once  paid  over  to  him  for  value  given  is  the 
mystery  of  all  mysteries.  The  Wasp,  now,  is  willing  to 
pay  the  five  thousand  dollars  thus  returned,  with  an 
equal  amount  added  to  it,  ten  thousand  dollars  in  all,  to 
any  one  who  explains  this  mystery  and  gives  a  detailed 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE.  \\J 

and  exact  account  of  the  present  whereabouts  of 
Arthur  Livingstone." 

So  I  withheld,  for  the  time,  my  story,  and  it  was 
weeks  before  I  took  it  up  again.  Mortimer  Mortimer's 
kindness  thus  freed  me  from  any  moral  obligation  re- 
lating to  my  former  life. 

It  was  now  for  me  to  elect  how  I  should  live.  Lord 
Robert,  who  soon  left  me  after  my  return  from  the 
Central  station,  went  to  Paris,  where  he  received  an 
appointment  as  secretary  to  the  British  Ambassador. 

My  globe,  which  I  kept  as  the  prize  of  my  life,  was, 
for  the  greater  part  of  the  time,  dull  and  dark.  But, 
every  night,  I  studied  its  dark  surface,  and  soon  gleams 
of  light  taught  me  that  the  possibility  of  seeing  in  it 
would  come  rapidly  if  I  were  patient  and  persistent. 

At  the  end  of  three  months,  I  began  to  see  again  as 
I  had  seen  in  the  great  globe  at  the  Central  Station  of 
Light,  although  the  range  of  view  was,  as  yet,  limited, 
and  confined  to  the  neighborhood  about  me.  I  received 
occasional  messages  ;  and,  when  I  resolved  to  take  up, 
once  more,  my  calling  as  a  writer,  to  advance  the 
cause  of  humanity,  my  globe  rang  out  a  triumphant 
note  of  approval  ;  and,  from  then  on,  my  development 
was  rapid. 

Not  long  after  this,  I  dined  at  the  house  of  a  great 
statesman,  who  is  fond  of  entertaining  literary  people 
and  eccentric  Americans.  I  was  seated  next  to  the 
famous  editor  of  The  Wasp,  who  was  among  the  guests. 

"  So  your  name  is  Livingstone,"  said  he,  glancing  at 
my  guest  card,  next  my  plate,  which  bore  the  simple 
inscription,  "  Mr.  Livingstone."     "  That  recalls  to   my 


Il8  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

mind  a  strange  experience  I  had,  recently,  with  a 
gentleman  bearing  your  name.  Perhaps  you  may 
have  heard  of  Arthur  Livingstone  ?  " 

"Yes;  I  have  heard  of  him." 

"At  the  first  moment,  I  had  just  the  shadow  of  an 
impression  that  you  resembled  him  ;  but,  as  I  look  at 
you,  I  see  that  there  is  not  the  slightest  resemblance. 
Did  you  ever  hear  of  his  mysterious  disappearance?" 

"  Something  about  it  comes  to  my  mind,  as  you  men- 
tion it." 

"  It  was  the  most  peculiar  of  all  the  disappearances 
noted  by  my  great  journal,  for  Livingstone  went  out 
of  sight  while  engaged  by  me  to  unearth  the  disap- 
pearance of  one  of  our  leading  bankers,  James  Mus- 
grove.  More  than  this :  all  the  money  I  had  given  him 
was  sent  back  to  me,  after  he  had  been  engaged  for 
nearly  a  year  in  work  upon  this  case.  Now,  Living 
stone  had  a  most  original  idea,  as  an  explanation  of 
these  disappearances.  He  thought  that  there  must  be, 
behind  them  all,  some  great  syndicate  for  the  promo- 
tion of  the  successful  disappearance  of  notable  people 
that  has  taken  place  throughout  the  world.  I  never 
believed  in  the  idea,  but  was  willing  enough  to  exploit 
the  theory,  on  account  of  its  originality.  But,  when  the 
money  came  back,  following  Livingstone's  disappear- 
ance, I  have  been  forced  to  believe  in  a  syndicate. 
But,  my  God,  what  kind  of  a  syndicate  is  it  that  pays 
back  money  for  no  reason  at  all  ?  My  days  will  be 
shortened,  unless  I  can  probe  this  mystery." 

"  Are  you  still  looking  for  the  missing  banker?  " 

"  No  ;  my  whole  attention  is  concentrated  upon   the 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  I  19 

search  for  Livingstone,  and  the  explanation  of  the 
system  that  carried  him  away  and  returned  me  that 
money.  I  will  expend  one  hundred  thousand  dollars 
before  I  will  give  up  beaten.  If  Livingstone  is  on  top 
of  this  earth,  I  will  find  him.  You  have  no  idea  of  the 
enterprise  of  American  journalism  ;  it  explains  every- 
thing, and  pierces  all  mysteries." 

"  Did  you  know  Livingstone  well  ?  " 
"  No  ;  I  never  saw  him  but  twice.  Once,  upon  the 
occasion  when  I  sent  for  him  to  engage  him  to  go  to 
Europe.  The  second  time  was  in  London,  at  my 
hotel,  upon  the  very  day  of  his  disappearance.  Oh, 
that  disappearance  !  I  hope  the  mystery  will  not  drive 
me  mad.  But  money  can  do  anything,  and,  with  its  use, 
I  shall  succeed." 

"  You  are  not  interested  in  Livingstone  personally  ?  " 
"  Not  at  all  ;  but  why  was  that  money  returned  ?  " 
"  Would  you  know  Livingstone   if  you  were   to   see 
him,  by  chance,  in  a  passing  crowd  ?  " 

"  Know  him  !  Every  feature  of  his  face,  bearing, 
walk  and  talk  is  indelibly  photographed  upon  my 
brain.  I  see  him  in  my  dreams  at  night.  You  must 
know  I  was,  originally,  a  reporter,  and  one  of  the  best 
sensational  reporters  living.  If  I  should  see  only  the 
corner  of  Livingstone's  ears,  in  a  crowd,  I  should  know 
him,-  and  should  follow  him  to  the  ends  of  the  earth, 
before  I  should  lose  him.  I  carry  about  with  me 
money  sufficient  for  the  longest  of  journeys,  so  as  to 
be  ready,  upon  an  instant's  notice,  to  take  the  track  of 
an  active  scent.  I  am  beginning  to  make  it  a  matter 
of  personal  pride  with  myself  to  run  him  down." 


120  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

"  What  would  you  do  with  him  if  you  should  find 
him  ? " 

"  Pump  him  dry." 

"  But,  suppose  he  should  not  wish  to  talk.  How 
could  you  compel  him  to  explain  ?  " 

"With  money.     He  could  have  what  he  liked." 

"  But  suppose  he  should  not  care  for  your  money?  " 

"  Such  an  idea  is  inconceivable.  Livingstone  was, 
when  he  left  for  Europe,  a  poor,  ambitious  American  ; 
such  men  always  want  money." 

"  But  suppose  he  should  refuse  ?  " 

"  Everything  is  conceivable  to  a  poet,  and  the  host  in- 
forms me  you  are  one  of  the  coming  poets  of  England. 
But,  if  all  else  should  fail,  I  should  fall  on  my  knees, 
and  plead  for  my  life,  which  could  not  endure  this 
forced  further  damming  up  of  my  curiosity.  But  you 
need  not  fear  my  failing,  if  once  I  secure  the  slightest 
trace  of  the  missing  man." 

As  the  editor  said  this,  he  grasped  my  arm,  with 
violence,  adding :  "  The  editor  of  The  Wasp  never 
fails.  If  I  only  could  lay  my  hands  upon  the  actual 
man  my  task  would  then  be  simple." 

Was  there  ever  anything  more  amusing  than  this 
boasting  of  alertness  and  acuteness  in  the  presence  of 
the  person  sought  ?  Never  did  I  have  a  more  convinc- 
ing proof  of  my  complete  outward  change.  To  be 
shielded  from  the  piercing  keenness  of  the  vision  of 
this  editor  was  to  be  guarded  against  the  world. 


121 


CHAPTER   XV. 

DISCOVERY    OF   JAMES    MUSGROVE,    ON    THE    DRIVER'S 
SEAT   OF   AN   OXFORD    STREET   'BUS. 

Two  days  after  this  dinner,  I  mounted  an  omnibus, 
at  Oxford  Circus,  to  ride  down  to  the  Mansion  House. 
I  advanced  over  the  roof  of  the  'bus,  and  took  a  seat 
by  the  side  of  the  driver.  I  was  his  only  companion 
upon  the  seat.  I  pulled  out  a  cigar  from  my  pocket 
and  handed  it  to  him,  as  I  lighted  one  myself,  pre- 
pared for  a  lazy  observation  of  the  great  crowds  and 
busy  traffic  of  this,  one  of  the  busiest  of  London  high- 
ways. 

The  driver  was  an  elderly  man,  with  a  splendid, 
clear,  strong  face,  neatly  framed  between  his  multi- 
tudinous neck-wraps  and  high,  shiny,  black  hat.  As  he 
took  the  first  puff  at  the  cigar,  a  change  came  over  his 
face.  I  fancied  I  heard  a  dull  ring  from  one  of  his 
pockets,  as  of  a  bell. 

Then  the  bell  rang  in  my  pocket,  as  if  in  response. 

I  then  turned,  and  looked  long  at  the  driver.  With 
a  thrill,  I  first  noted,  under  his  left  eye,  as  he  turned 
to  thank  me  for  the  cigar,  three  little,  blue  powder 
marks.  Involuntarily,  I  looked  behind  his  right  ear,  as 
I  was  upon  his  right.  There  I  saw  a  mole,  the  size 
and  shape  of  a  small  egg.  I  remembered,  then,  my 
last  call  upon  James  Musgrove,  and  my  note  of  his  per- 


122  THE   DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 

sonal  peculiarities.  The  powder  marks  and  the  mole 
were  his.  I  could  not  see  his  scarred  left  hand,  as  he 
wore  heavy,  leather  gloves.  In  no  other  way  was  there 
any  resemblance  to  Musgrove.  This  omnibus  driver 
was  a  noble-looking  man,  with  a  grandly-benevolent 
face.  Suddenly,  I  thought  where  Musgrove  had  been 
— of  the  possibilities  of  the  change  in  his  character.  I 
believed  it  was  Musgrove,  transformed.  As  I  murmured 
this  to  myself,  the  sound  of  a  bell,  in  my  pocket,  con- 
firmed my  thought.  This  was  followed  by  a  similar 
one  from  the  pocket  of  the  thick  overcoat  of  the 
driver. 

There  was  no  longer  any  room  for  doubt.  Turning 
to  the  driver,  I  said  :  "  Have  you  any  objections  to 
telling  me  your  name  ?  " 

"  None  at  all,  Mr.  Arthur  Livingstone.  Oh,  don't 
look  surprised.  The  initiated  ones  of  the  Circle  of 
Light  surely  should  know  each  other.  I  have  been 
longer  in  than  you,  and  so  recognized  you  at  once.  I 
am,  as  you  suspect,  James  Musgrove,  ex-banker  and 
broker,  late  of  Wall  street,  New  York." 

"But  how  did  you  become  a  'bus  driver?  When  I 
saw  you  last,  through  the  aid  of  Mortimer  Mortimer, 
you  were  in  the  garb  of  a  monk,  in  a  Himalayan 
monastery,  studying  the  scenes  of  your  past  life." 

"  And  a  tough  study  it  was,  too,  my  boy.  Their 
memory  remains  with  me  now,  but  they  appear  as  the 
acts  of  another  individuality.  How  did  I  become  a  'bus 
driver  ?  Well,  I  wanted  to  begin  in  some  walk  of  life 
where  I  could  shake  off  the  last  crust  of  selfishness 
and   hardness.     I   wanted   to   unload   sixty  years'   ac- 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE.  1 23 

cumulations  of  acquired  habits  of  preying  on  others, 
and  I  thought  I  might,  learn  something  in  the  way  of 
a  new  life  by  beginning  to  work  with  my  hands.  I 
always  did  know  how  to  drive.  I  picked  out  some- 
thing hard  and  tough,  as  a  kind  of  penance,  you  know. 
I  work,  now,  twelve  and  fourteen  hours  a  day,  and  it 
is  doing  me  good.  I  shall  begin  as  a  cab-driver  next 
month.  I  am  studying,  in  this  post  of  observation, 
the  profound  misery  and  wretchedness  of  the  great 
working  masses  of  London.  The  tales  of  sorrow  I 
have  heard  told  on  the  top  of  this  'bus  have  wrung 
my  heart.  But  I  am  learning,  in  this  long  exposure 
and  toil,  some  of  the  values  of  life.  Just  why  I  piled 
up  money  wrung  from  people  struggling  around  me,  I 
cannot  now  understand." 

At  the  Mansion  House  I  bade  Musgrove  good-bye. 

"  When  am  I  to  see  you  again  ?  "  said  I,  as  I  began 
to  climb  down  the  steps  from  my  elevated  seat. 

"  It  is  not  necessary  for  us  to  make  appointments," 
said  James  Musgrove.  "  You  and  I  are  in  the  same 
circle,  and,  for  a  time,  will  work  together.  The  next 
time  you  see  me  I  shall  be  the  driver  of  the  cab 
engaged  by  you,  upon  the  eve  of  your  change  of  occu- 
pation and  advancement  in  the  service  of  light." 

"When  will  that  be?" 

"You  will  know  when  the  order  comes.  That  will 
be  time  enough." 

James  Musgrove,  London  omnibus-driver,  still  puff- 
ing, with  serene  satisfaction,  at  the  black  Havana  cigar, 
now  gravely  saluted,  as  he  turned  to  the  right,  in 
response  to  the  imperative  foot-tapping  of  the  conduc- 


124  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

tor,  who  bawled,  "  Liverpool  Stytion  a  penny."  In  a 
moment,  his  'bus  was  lost  in  the  traffic,  while  I  sought 
the  underground,  and  made  my  way  back  to  the  west 
end  of  the  town,  to  my  lodgings. 

As  I  finish  this  paragraph,  the  globe  lying  upon 
the  desk  sounds.  Its  surface  begins  to  glow  with 
light.  I  see  the  faint  shadow  of  the  fair  queen  of  the 
Council  of  Ten  looking  kindly  upon  me. 

The  globe  now  tinkles  with  a  more  imperious  note. 

Does  that  mean  that  I  am  to  write  no  more  upon 
this  subject  for  the  present  ? 


125 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

JAMES  MUSGROVE,  THE  CABMAN,  DELIVERS   AN  ORDER 

FOR   A   SFECIAL   SERVICE   TO   BE   PERFORMED 

BY   ARTHUR   LIVINGSTONE. 

When  my  pen  dropped  at  the  imperious  sound, 
noted  in  the  last  chapter,  I  thought  I  had,  perhaps, 
reached  the  conclusion  of  the  record  that  I  would,  for 
the  present,  be  permitted  to  tell. 

Three  months  have  since  elapsed,  and  the  experi- 
ences of  that  period  are  necessary  to  a  complete  expo- 
sition of  this  preliminary  record  of  The  Disappearance 
Syndicate.  The  last  chapter  I  finished  late  in  the 
evening,  in  my  writing-room,  in  my  modest  quarters  in 
Knightsbridge  Road.  Up  to  the  time  I  had  completed 
the  record  of  the  story,  as  above  written,  I  had  made 
some  progress  in  my  readings  of  the  globe.  Yet  I  had 
by  no  means  arrived  at  the  power  of  clear  seeing.  It 
was  only  at  intervals  that  I  could  see  anything  in  it ; 
and  then  the  visions  were  faint  and  hazy. 

Upon  the  evening  in  question,  mentioned  in  the  last 
chapter,  the  face  of  the  fair  lady  of  the  Council  of  Ten 
came  to  me.  A  year  had  elapsed  since  my  visit  to  the 
Central  Station  of  Light,  and  this  was  the  first  time  I 
had  seen  the  faintest  trace  of  the  one  who  had  made 
such  an  enduring  impression  upon  me.  It  made  my 
heart    throb   with    delight.     It  was    the    shadow  of    a 


126  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

promise  that  I  might  see  her  in  reality.  Her  face  in 
the  globe  was  evidence  to  me  of  my  progress,  although 
the  vision  faded  nearly  as  quickly  as  it  appeared. 

The  globe  glowed,  after  the  vision  faded,  with  a  mystic 
fire  ;  then  there  appeared  to  me  the  evidences  of  a 
struggle  within  its  mysterious  depths,  as  if  two  mighty 
forces  were  combining  for  a  contest  of  life  and  death. 
I  received  merely  the  impression  of  a  deadly  struggle, 
but  could  not  receive  any  information  concerning  it, 
neither  could  I  see  any  of  the  figures  engaged  therein. 
Suddenly  the  globe  became  dark.  I  was  moved  to  go 
out  into  the  street  for  a  walk,  to  relieve  myself  from 
the  disappointment  of  the  vain  strivings  to  pierce  its 
hidden  meaning. 

It  was  a  soft,  gray  light  of  early  spring.  I  was  in 
evening  dress,  as  I  had  come  in  from  a  call.  I  flung 
on,  hurriedly,  a  light  top  coat  and  lighted  a  cigarette 
for  a  stroll  in  the  park  opposite  my  apartment.  As  I 
set  foot  on  the  street,  I  saw  a  hansom  cab  drawn  up  in 
front  of  the  entrance. 

The  cabman  saluted  me,  and  then  I  recognized 
James  Musgrove,  by  the  signals  of  the  globe.  He  bent 
down  to  me,  with  a  cheerful  smile,  as  he  said  :  "  Good 
evening,  Livingstone.     I  have  been  waiting  for  you." 

"  Waiting  for  me  ?  " 

"  Yes.  You  remember  the  last  time  you  saw  me  I 
told  you  you  would  next  see  me  as  a  hansom  cab 
driver?  " 

"  Do  you  like  your  present  occupation  ?  " 

"  Well  enough  ;  but  let  me  come  back  to  your  busi- 
ness, which  is  more  important.     You  will  also  remem- 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE.  127 

ber  that  I  said  I  would  see  you  again  when  you  would 
be  upon  the  eve  of  an   advancement  in  the  service  of 

light  and  of  an  entire  change  of  occupation." 

"  Yes,  I  remember." 

"Well,  the  time  is  arrived.     Jump  in  the  cab." 

"  To  go  where  ?  " 

"  Never  mind.  You  should  obey  orders  without 
questions.  If  you  doubt  my  authority  as  the  bearer 
of  the  order,  ask  your  globe." 

The  globe  in  my  pocket  sounded  clearly  the  sharp 
ring  of  affirmation,  and  then,  without  a  second  of  hesita- 
tion, I  entered  the  cab,  and  was  driven  with  great 
rapidity  along  the  park  to  Piccadilly.  When  the  cab 
passed  the  Rothschild  house,  it  whirled  to  the  right 
and  plunged  down  in  the  direction  of  St.  James'  Palace. 
We  soon  passed  that  into  the  open  of  the  Mall,  and 
then  pierced  the  gloom  of  the  quarter  to  the  southwest 
of  Buckingham  Palace.  Ten  minutes'  drive  brought  us 
to  a  gloomy  fortress  of  a  mansion  surrounded  by  high 
brick  walls,  behind  which  were  groups  of  trees,  shadow- 
ing deeply  with  their  thick  foliage  the  massive  front  of 
the  house,  where  not  a  single  light  appeared  to  in- 
dicate living  occupation. 

As  the  cab  stopped,  Musgrove  called  through  the  top 
of  the  cab  :  "  You  are  to  enter  here,  and  alone.  I  will 
wait  for  you  until  morning.  If  you  need  my  help 
in  any  way,  summon  me  through  pressing  the  globe 
firmly  in  your  hand  as  you  call  out  my  name.  Your 
courage,  I  think,  will  be  equal  to  the  situation  you  will 
find  inside  that  house." 

"  But  how  am  I  to  enter  ?     Why  am  I  going  ?  " 


128  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

"  Enter,  that  is  the  order.  Have  faith  and  go  ahead. 
I  am  giving  you  the  straight  tip,  and  if  you  play  it 
right  you  won't  get  left." 

The  Wall  street  flavor  of  Musgrove's  conversation 
caused  me  to  look  sharply  at  him,  as  I  stepped  out  of 
the  cab.  There  was  a  trace  of  the  old  Musgrove  in 
his  face,  while,  at  the  same  time,  he  showed  great 
excitement. 

"  Go  ahead,  my  boy,  and  don't  waste  your  time 
staring  at  me." 

Mechanically,  I  advanced  to  the  grim  gateway,  and, 
as  I  reached  it,  it  opened  silently.  I  entered,  and,  as 
I  cleared  the  passage-way,  the  gate  closed  with  a  clang, 
and  I  heard  the  slide  of  a  bolt  in  its  socket. 

I  was  now  in  the  thick  darkness  of  the  garden. 
Turning  for  a  last  look  at  Musgrove,  I  saw  him  sitting, 
erect  and  grim,  upon  his  box,  puffing  away  at  a  cigar, 
without  a  trace  of  his  former  anxiety.  In  the  darkness 
of  the  garden,  I  was  impressed  with  a  sense  of  evil, 
which  I  could  not  shake  off.  I  advanced  but  a  few 
steps,  when  the  darkness  closed  in  behind  me,  shutting 
off  the  light  of  the  street,  and  the  gate  where  I  had  en- 
tered. The  darkness  was  of  an  unusual  character,  as 
it  was  absolutely  impenetrable.  I  was  exactly  as  if  I 
had  become  deprived  of  my  eyes. 

There  was  an  awful  silence  with  the  blackness,  that 
deepened  my  impression  of  evil  or  misfortune.  After 
the  first  few  steps,  I  hesitated  ;  but  the  thought  came 
to  me,  I  was  under  orders,  and  was  I  to  show  weakness 
at  the  first  trial  ?  With  this  thought,  I  lifted  my  head, 
although  I  could  see  nothing,  and  began  to  walk  reso- 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  129 

lutch'  forward.  The  darkness  prevented  me  from 
knowing  in  which  direction  I  set  my  feet,  and  the  soft 
turf  silenced  my  energetic  footsteps.  As  I  walked,  tin- 
gloom  deepened,  until  it  hung  about  me  with  the  effect 
of  a  weight.  Occasional  whispers  came  through  the 
blackness,  faint  puffs  of  air,  and  now  and  then  a  tremu- 
lous action  of  the  atmosphere,  in  the  form  of  undulating 
waves,  passed  over  me.  I  grasped  firmly  the  globe  in  my 
right  hand,  and  continued  to  advance.  To  my  surprise 
I  met  no  obstacles,  and  stumbled  over  nothing,  al- 
though the  view  from  the  street  had  shown  me  a  gar- 
den crowded  with  shrubbery  and  trees.  I  walked  as 
freely  as  if  I  had  been  on  a  desert  plain. 

Suddenly  I  found  myself  at  the  main  entrance  to  the 
house.  Dimly  I  could  see  its  outlines.  Here  the  door 
opened  silently,  as  had  the  gate,  and  I  entered  the 
house. 

I  was  now  in  a  region  of  light  sufficient  for  me  to  see 
clearly.  The  interior  was  that  of  a  palace,  while  the 
furnishings  were  of  an  amazing  luxuriance  and  rich- 
ness, carried  to  the  point  of  extreme  lavishness. 

I  walked  through  suite  after  suite  of  apartments,  un- 
til I  found  my  way  into  a  great  library  chamber  at  the 
back  of  the  house.  Here  there  were  luxurious  couches 
and  easy  chairs  ranged  about  a  small  center-table,  upon 
which  was  an  inlaid  steel  disk.  Upon  the  surface  of 
this  disk  there  was  a  long,  undulating  needle,  poised  as 
the  needle  of  a  compass.  It  was  whirling  constantly, 
and  with  the  rapidity  of  its  movements  the  shifting 
light  upon  its  surface  gave  it  the  appearance  of  a  tiny 
serpent. 


130  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

In  this  room  there  was  an  atmosphere  of  sensuous- 
ness  that  appealed  to  every  instinct  of  my  animal  na- 
ture. The  rich  and  extravagant  coloring  of  the  room 
and  its  furnishings,  its  perfumed  atmosphere,  the 
gentle  music  that  sounded  as  if  from  a  distant  sphere 
as  I  entered,  combined  to  capture  and  impress  the 
senses. 

In  the  Central  Station  of  Light,  I  entered  an  atmos- 
phere of  harmony  and  rest.  Here,  the  atmosphere  was 
one  of  discord  and  unrest ;  yet,  one  that  fascinated  and 
enthralled.  I  sank,  enervated  and  listless,  upon  one  of 
the  easy  couches  near  the  center-table,  and  began  to 
lazily  watch  the  needle  as  it  moved  to  and  fro. 

My  first  thought,  upon  entering  the  house,  was  that 
it  might  be  one  of  the  stations  of  the  service  of  light. 
The  richness  and  the  mystery  were  in  keeping  with 
what  I  saw  at  the  Central  station,  but  the  atmosphere 
of  relaxation  and  sensuous  attraction  showed  me  that 
this  was  foreign  to  what  I  had  seen  and  experienced 
under  the  direction  of  Mortimer  Mortimer. 

But,  before  I  had  had  a  moment  to  question  the 
character  of  my  surroundings,  the  tapestries  at  the  far 
end  of  the  room  parted,  and  there  entered  a  gracious, 
slim  man,  of  an  extremely  youthful  appearance.  He  was 
blue-eyed,  with  a  clear  complexion,  and  such  regular 
features,  such  full,  ripe  lips,  such  white  teeth,  and  such 
fine,  silky  blonde  hair,  as  to  suggest  the  fair  features  of 
a  beautiful  woman.  He  was  in  evening  dress,  and 
came  forward  to  greet  me,  as  I  arose,  with  the  easy 
courtesy  of  an  accomplished  man  of  the  world. 

"  I  thank  you  for  the  honor  of  this  visit,"  said  he. 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE.  131 

"Your  name  I  know  very  well,  as  one  of  England's 
most  brilliant  writers.     My  name  is  Ronald  Hapgood." 

"  Are  you  the  master  of  this  house  ?  " 

"  I  am." 

"  Why  am  I  here  at  this  hour  of  the  night?  I  offer 
no  apology  for  my  call,  but  seek  the  explanation  of 
my  coming  from  you,  as  I  am  not  here  of  my  own 
volition." 

"  I  suppose  not.  This  is  not  a  mysterious  place.  It 
is  a  rival  shop,  if  I  may  use  that  term,  of  the  one  con- 
trolled by  your  friend,  Mortimer  Mortimer,  the  prince 
of  humbugs." 

"  Why  do  you  call  him  the  prince  of  humbugs  ?  " 

"  Because  he  seeks,  continually,  the  impossible,  and, 
by  his  will  and  power  to  create  illusions,  deludes  nu- 
merous people  into  following  him  with  a  credulity 
that  does  not  hesitate  even  at  the  sacrifice  of  their 
personal  fortunes." 

"  But  in  what  way  does  this  prove  him  a  humbug  ? 
He  aims  only  to  do  good." 

"  Yes;  but  the  people  who  have  such  aims  are  always 
tiresome  and  impractical.  Neither  he  nor  any  set  of 
men  are  strong  enough  to  bring  about  the  millennium. 
Why  should  any  one  do  good  ?  Why  should  any  one 
seek  to  be  any  better  than  nature  has  created  him  ?  " 

"  Because  there  is  no  true  happiness  to  be  found 
otherwise." 

"  Well,  let  us  see  about  that.  I  belong  to  an  asso- 
ciation of  individuals  who  live  for  the  life  we  know. 
We  are  shrewd  observers,  and  keep  very  close  to  this 
earth,  although  we  have  nearly  the  same  amount   of 


132  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

scientific  knowledge  at  our  disposal  that  is  at  the  com- 
mand of  Mortimer  Mortimer  and  his  followers.  Now, 
you  will  concede  that  the  universal  quest  in  this  world 
is  happiness;  is  it  not  ?" 

"Yes." 

"  Well,  the  world  is  old  enough  to  have  learned  a  few 
lessons.  If  only  happiness  was  to  be  found  in  doing 
good,  do  you  not  suppose  that  the  natural  shrewdness 
of  mankind  would,  by  this  time,  have  taught  them  this 
lesson  ?  " 

"Well?" 

"  Why  is  it  that  man  is  given  a  nature  that  is  in- 
stinctively opposed  to  so-called  good,  as  outlined  by 
Mortimer  Mortimer?  Let  us  admit,  for  a  moment,  his 
theory  of  another  life,  and  an  overruling  power.  If 
there  is  an  overruling  power  of  infinite  goodness,  why  is 
it  that  men  are  endowed  with  natures  that  constantly 
impel  them  in  the  direction  of  the  so-called  opposite  ?  " 

"  It  is  not  for  me  to  question  the  wisdom  of  creation. 
I  only  know  that  I  have  found  no  such  happiness  as  I 
have  experienced  since  I  have  begun  to  work  upon  the 
side  of  the  good." 

"You  are  of  a  dreamy,  poetical  nature,  and  I  daresay 
that,  for  the  time  being,  you  are  content.  But  have 
you  ever  really  tested  your  own  nature?  Have  you 
fought  for  the  cause  of  the  good,  as  you  call  it  ?  Have 
you  ever  made  one  real  sacrifice  for  it  ?  Have  you 
endured  pain  or  ignominy  for  its  sake  ?  With  you 
it  is  an  abstract  sensation.  As  Mortimer  Mortimer 
has  presented  himself  and  his  associates  to  you,  he  has 
made    every   appeal   to    the    love    of    refinement    and 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  I  33 

beauty  in  your  nature  ;  but  are  you  sure  you  are  really 
changed  by  your  contact  with  him  ?  What  do  you  sec 
in  the  globe  which  you  carry  about  with  you,  that  any 
person  with  hypnotic  tendencies  and  some  imagination 
cannot  see  ?  " 

"You  speak  of  things  I  cannot  discuss  with  you." 

"  Pardon  me,  I  am  not  questioning  you.  I  know 
what  I  am  talking  about.  For  a  long  time  I  was  a  fol- 
lower of  Mortimer  Mortimer.  I  was  advanced  in  what 
he  was  pleased  to  call  the  service  of  light.  I  am  as 
great  an  electrical  and  hypnotical  expert  as  he.  But, 
in  the  end,  the  disciple  differed  from  the  prophet,  and 
I  was  expelled  from  the  society." 

"  In  what  did  you  differ  ?  " 

"  As  to  the  motives  and  objects  of  the  society. 
Mortimer  had,  with  his  skill  and  administrative  ability, 
built  up  a  power  and  a  reserve  that  would  have  justi- 
fied his  seizing  the  control  of  all  the  actual  govern- 
ments of  the  world.  But  he  would  not.  He  was  con- 
tent with  indirect  power.  I  was  not.  I  also  aimed  to 
supplant  him.  But  I  did  not  succeed  ;  but,  to-day,  I 
have  a  more  powerful  society  than  he  ;  at  least  it  is 
the  equal  of  his,  and  I  mean  to  contend  with  him  for 
supremacy." 

"  But  what  are  your  objects  ?  " 

"To  cultivate  the  theory,  and  sustain  it  against 
all  comers,  that  men  should  follow  out  the  law  of  the 
natures  given  them.  Whatever  nature  wills  them  to 
do,  let  them  do  it,  in  so  far  as  they  can,  without  com- 
promising their  own  comfort  or  safety.  In  other 
words,  the  doctrine  of  absolute  selfishness.     Who,  do 


134  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

you  suppose,  has,  to-day,  the  greater  number  of  fol- 
lowers? " 

"You  have,  undoubtedly." 

"  And  will  have  unto  the  end  of  all  things.  Look 
at  the  history  of  the  countless  ages,  and  you  will 
find  human  nature  unchangeable.  Its  tendencies  are 
always  the  same.  It  is  strangely  made  up  of  contra- 
dictory elements  of  unselfishness  and  selfishness,  but 
the  latter  prevails  and  always  will  prevail.  Any  man 
of  practical  common  sense  should  know  that.  What  a 
stupid  place  this  earth  would  be,  if  we  were  all  arrived 
at  what  your  friend,  Mortimer  Mortimer,  would  call  the 
ideal  state.  Then  there  would  no  longer  be  any  work 
left  to  be  done  by  the  Council  of  Ten.  It  is  the  very 
imperfections  of  the  world  that  make  it  interesting." 

"  Why  have  you  invited  me  here  to  tell  me  all 
this  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  am  going  to  be  frank  with  you.  You  are 
Mortimer  Mortimer's  most  promising  proselyte.  I  am 
going  to  try  and  win  you  over  to  my  side." 

"  Impossible  !  " 

"  Don't  say  that.  Look  over  my  case  first.  Let  us 
take  all  the  extreme  phrases  of  modern  speech  in  going 
over  the  situation.  Let  us  suppose  Mortimer  Mor- 
timer an  angel  of  light  and  I  the  devil  of  darkness,  you 
must  concede  I  arn  a  gentlemanly  devil  and  entitled  to 
a  fair  hearing." 

"  Go  on." 

"  Well,  give  me  the  same  attention  you  did  Mortimer 
Mortimer.  Look  as  intently  at  what  I  can  show  you  as 
you  did  at  the  pictures  in  the  Central  Station  of  Light, 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE.  1 35 

and  then  decide  who  has  the  better  collection.  If  your 
convictions  are  not  firm  enough,  or  your  courage  great 
enough,  to  face  temptation  to  pursue  an  opposite  direc- 
tion from  the  one  you  are  now  following,  then  you  will 
only  prove  my  theory  concerning  human  nature  and 
raise  my  estimate  of  your  prudence.  If  you  are  so 
enchanted  with  your  present  system  for  cultivating  hap- 
piness, surely  nothing  I  can  show,  or  ever  offer,  can 
have  the  slightest  influence  over  you." 

"  I  do  not  fear  your  influence." 

"  I  like  that.  You  have  courage.  Are  you  willing 
to  look  over  my  claims  to  superiority  ?  " 

"  I  am  here  through  the  orders  of  my  superiors.  I 
know  it  is  through  their  will  that  I  am  in  your  society. 
So  I  am  free  to  accept  your  challenge  to  move  me 
from  my  present  position." 

At  this  Ronald  Hapgood  clapped  his  hands  with 
delight,  and  looked  so  humanely  pleased  and  boyish  in 
his  pleasure,  that  it  was  difficult  to  imagine  him  an 
evil  person  and  an  advocate  of  the  doctrine  of  perfect 
selfishness  as  the  best  means  to  be  employed  to  secure 
perfect  happiness. 


136 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

RONALD  HAPGOOD  EXERTS  THE   FULL   POWER   OF   THE 

CENTRAL   STATION   OF   DARKNESS   TO    MAKE   ME 

A   DESERTER   FROM   THE   SERVICE   OF   LIGHT. 

My  temporary  host  now  said  :  "  There  is  no  use  of 
our  being  too  serious  about  this  matter.  I  am  not  very 
hospitable  in  treating  you  to  nothing  but  mere  talk  and 
argument." 

With  this,  he  clapped  his  hands,  and  there  entered 
several  Indian  servants,  who  quickly  moved  up  a  table 
near  the  one  where  the  needle  was  ever  revolving. 
Three  chairs  were  placed  about  the  table,  and  then  the 
dishes  of  a  light  repast,  flanked  by  several  bottles  of 
dry  champagne,  were  brought  in.  Hardly  was  the  first 
bottle  opened,  than  the  tapestries  again  parted,  and 
there  entered  a  lady,  young,  beautifully  dressed  in  a 
black  evening  dress,  who  advanced  with  only  a  slight 
salutation,  and  seated  herself  in  the  third  chair. 

Her  beauty  was  startling  ;  for,  in  addition  to  the 
charms  of  a  great  physical  beauty,  there  was  the  addi- 
tional charm  of  a  refined  and  cultivated  mind,  shown  in 
the  expression  of  the  face  and  in  the  clear  light  of  the 
dark,  full-lidded  eyes,  arched  by  absolutely  perfect  eye- 
brows. Her  clear,  straight  nose,  her  perfect  mouth, 
and  delicate,  oval  chin,  would  have  enchanted  any 
artist ;  while  the  blue-black  of  her  luxuriant  hair,  the 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE.  1 37 

snowy  whiteness  of  her  teeth  and  the  delicate,  creamy 
tint  of  her  complexion  testified  to  the  lavishness  of 
Nature.  Her  evening  dress  showed  the  contours  and 
form  of  a  young  woman  enjoying  the  perfection  of 
health;  while  there  was  an  atmosphere  about  her  of 
radiant  vitality,  which  would  have  made  a  much  uglier 
person  attractive. 

She  looked  at  me  with  the  frankness  of  a  man  look- 
ing at  a  brother,  and  slightly  inclined  her  head,  upon 
which  shone  a  glittering  diamond  star,  as  my  host  intro- 
duced me  to  her. 

"  Lady  Somers,"  said  he,  "  another  one  of  the  re- 
jected disciples  of  Mortimer  Mortimer." 

I  looked  at  her  intently  and  inquiringly  as  he  said  this. 

"  Yes,"  said  she,  with  a  mysterious  smile.  "  I  sat  for 
one  day  in  the  Council  of  Ten,  but  I  found  it  too 
stupid  and — well,  Hapgood  can  tell  you  the  rest." 

Then,  with  an  easy  air  of  languid  indolence,  she 
caught  up  a  Venetian  glass  filled  with  champagne,  and 
drank  the  foaming  beverage  at  one  draught.  Her  sigh 
of  pleasure,  and  the  lighting  of  her  somber  eyes,  spoke 
volumes  for  her  pleasure-loving  nature. 

Hapgood  noted  my  earnest  gaze  at  our  fair  compan- 
ion, as  he  said  :  "  I  do  not  think  you  will  find  it  so  dull 
with  us.  You  will  find  in  our  group  the  ablest  and 
most  interesting  people  in  London.  If  you,  with  your 
refinement  and  love  of  beauty,  find  with  us  anything 
to  shock  or  annoy  you,  then  I  shall  give  up  all  claim 
upon  you." 

As  he  said  this,  in  a  gentle,  wheedling  way,  the  hand 
of  Lady  Somers  stole  into  mine  under  the  cloth  and 


138  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

gave  me  a  kindly  pressure.  Her  hand  gave  me  a  feel- 
ing of  sympathy  and  consideration  that  ran  through 
my  veins  like  fire.  Her  eyes  seemed  to  say  to  me  : 
"  Do  not  yield,  but  stand  firm  "  ;  and  I  must  confess 
that  this  attitude  of  hers  tempted  me  more  than  would 
have  the  persuasive  pleadings. 

To  avoid  the  trouble  occasioned  by  this  touch  of 
apparent  sympathy,  I  turned  to  Hapgood  and  said  : 
"  Why  do  you  bother  at  all  about  me  ?  I  am  not  of 
sufficient  importance.  I  am  as  nothing  in  the  councils 
of  Mortimer  Mortimer." 

"  It  is  not  a  matter  I  care  to  explain,  beyond  the  fact 
that  I  oppose  Mortimer  Mortimer  at  every  point,  and 
I  hope,  before  many  years  have  passed,  to  be  able  to 
break  the  power  of  his  syndicate." 

"  But  how  can  you  contend  against  him  ?  He  must 
know  all  your  plans." 

"  To  a  certain  extent,  that  is  true;  but,  while  he  can 
witness,  at  a  distance,  the  acts  of  his  opponents,  he 
cannot  pierce  behind  the  wall  of  our  separate  indi- 
vidualities, and  read  the  secrets  of  our  minds  against 
our  will.  We  have  the  same  weapons  that  he  has.  We, 
too,  can  see  what  he  is  doing.  When  you  are  of  us,  I 
will  show  you  how  it  is  all  done.  I  will  give  you  a  globe 
that  will  give  you  something  besides  gray,  hazy  sug- 
gestions of  a  possible  something." 

"  When  I  am  of  you  ?     That  can  never  be." 

"  Well,  we  will  see.  It  would  not  be  polite  to  con- 
tradict you.  I  think  you  will  find  us  more  friendly 
and  companionable  than  your  present  friends,  whom 
you  never  see  and  may  never  see  again.     Is  not  Lady 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE.  1 39 

Somers  as  beautiful  as  your  Lady  Flora  of  the  Council 
of  Ten  ?  " 

"  Lady  Flora  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  she  is  one  of  the  ladies  in  waiting  upon  the 
Queen.  She  is  fond  of  fads,  and  has  a  great  influence 
with  the  Sovereign.  She  was  a  great  capture  for  Morti- 
mer Mortimer.  But  you  need  never  expect  she  will 
look  at  you.  She  is  absorbed  in  the  ideal.  She  really 
believes  that  the  reform  of  the  world  is  possible." 

I  looked  inquiringly  at  Lady  Somers.  She  said,  with 
easy  frankness  :  "  Lady  Flora  is  easily  the  most  beau- 
tiful woman  ever  seen  in  London.  You  may  praise  her 
as  much  as  you  will,  and  I  will  concede  the  truth  of  all 
you  say  ;  but  she  is  cold  and  passionless,  a  natural-born 
nun.  She  has  never  been  in  love  with  any  one,  not 
even  herself,  and  if  she  were  not  in  the  service  of  Her 
Majesty,  would  never  be  seen  in  society  at  all.  Mr. 
Livingstone,  you  are  following  a  poetical  idea  in  wor- 
shiping her." 

I  shrunk  back  at  this  personal  application,  but  Lady 
Somers  continued,  unmoved  :  "  We  discuss  everything 
in  this  house  as  it  is,  without  apology  or  phrase.  We 
know  you  are  hopelessly  in  love  with  her,  and,  through 
this  infatuation,  Mortimer  Mortimer  will  be  able  to 
lead  you  to  a  perfect  slavery  of  service.  Now,  for  your 
own  comfort  and  pleasure,  you  had  much  better  fall  in 
love  with  me."  Here  she  gave  me  openly  her  hand,  and 
looked  straight  into  my  eyes.  "  I  know  how  to  amuse 
and  interest  men  of  your  dreamy,  poetical  type.  I 
will  promise  to  love  you,  if  you  will  engage  to  never 
talk  to  me  about  reforming  the  world.     Make   love   to 


140  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

me,  and  earn  the  right  to  my  favorable  consideration 
by  your  devotion,  and  then  we  will  face  the  world  as  it 
is,  and  hunt  for  the  little  pleasure  there  is  to  be  found 
in  it,  among  the  practical  things  of  life,  such  as  is  this  "; 
here  she  lifted  a  glass  of  champagne,  and  after  touch- 
ing it  to  her  lips,  pressed  it  to  mine,  as  she  continued  : 
"instead  of  among  the  impractical  idealities  of  life,  that 
one  never  finds  among  sensible  people,  who  actually 
rule  and  control  the  world  about  them." 

I  looked  at  the  author  of  this  cynical  little  speech, 
and  found  upon  her  beautiful  face  such  an  engaging  air 
of  frankness  and  seeming  friendliness,  that  I  could  not 
conceal  my  artistic  appreciation  of  so  much  surface 
beauty. 

The  supper  was  now  ended.  Lady  Somers  took  my 
arm,  and  we  followed  our  host  into  a  spacious  gallery, 
behind  the  tapestries,  at  the  right  of  the  room  into 
which  I  had  first  entered.  What  had  taken  place  was 
interesting  ;  but  a  mere  agreeable  companionship  could 
hardly  be  considered  as  having  risen  to  the  dignity  of 
a  temptation. 

Lady  Somers  was  too  much  of  a  woman  of  the  world 
to  overdo  any  part.  On  her  way  across  the  room,  she 
said  :  "  I  have  advised  you  to  fall  in  love  with  me,  but 
the  advice  is  not  good.  I  might  return  your  love  for 
a  short  time.  I  do  not  know,  but  I  am  certain  it 
would  not  be  for  long,  and,  as  you  are  a  good  fellow, 
who  does  not  make  too  heroic  a  parade  of  his  virtues, 
I  give  you  this  last  piece  of  advice  as  the  only  really 
friendly  suggestion  I  shall  make  to  you  while  you  are 
in  this  house." 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  141 

I  looked  down  at  my  companion  with  friendly 
gratitude  and  admiration.  She  was  divinely  beautiful, 
and  it  was  impossible  to  believe  that,  if  she  had  ever 
been  affiliated  with  the  Council  of  Ten,  she  could  have 
been  retired  through  any  unpardonable  fault  of  her 
own.  Surely,  some  day  she  would  be  taken  back. 
The  virtues  that  had  led  to  her  advancement  still 
existed.  The  charm  of  a  daring  intellectuality  shone 
in  her  face. 

As  I  looked  at  her,  she  said  :  "  I  am  sure,  if  it  were 
not  for  Lady  Flora,  you  would  already  be  on  the  high 
road  of  falling  in  love  with  me." 

It  was  an  odd  thought  in  my  mind  that  I  should  be 
inspired  in  my  devotion  to  the  highest  good  by  one 
beautiful  woman,  and  now  have  my  thoughts  turned, 
for  the  moment,  in  an  opposite  direction  by  another 
beautiful  woman,  of  an  equal,  if  not  superior,  intel- 
lectual qualification.  But,  while  I  was  agreeably  im- 
pressed for  the  moment,  I  found  in  Lady  Somers  only 
the  charm  that  is  ever  found  in  the  society  of  an  ac- 
complished and  beautiful  woman  of  the  world.  As  I 
walked  with  her,  I  could  not  help  comparing  the  lofty 
purity  of  Lady  Flora's  face  with  the  easy,  gracious 
worldliness  of  my  companion. 

It  occurred  to  me,  as  I  entered  the  large,  studio-look- 
ing chamber,  which  was  most  brilliantly  lighted,  that 
the  service  I  was  asked  to  perform  in  this  house  was  of 
a  most  peculiar  character.  It  was  odd  to  ask  me  to 
visit  two  worldly  people,  who  did  not  appear  to  be  any 
too  much  in  earnest  in  their  arguments  to  persuade  me 
to  leave  the  service  of  light  and  join  them. 


I42  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

If  I  were  to  be  confronted  with  no  more  dangerous 
temptations  than  the  easy-going  arguments  of  Hap- 
good  and  the  indifferent  talk  of  Lady  Somers,  I  would 
be  entitled  to  very  little  credit  for  strength  of  character 
in  resisting  them. 

In  this  next  room,  Hapgood  motioned  me  to  a  seat 
in  the  center  of  the  room,  flanked  by  two  comfortable 
chairs.  "  Come,"  said  he,  "  you  sit  down  here  by  me  ;  I 
will  show  our  world  in  action.  I  can,  perhaps,  show 
you  as  interesting  pictures  as  did  Mortimer  Mortimer." 

As  he  spoke,  an  attendant  wheeled  forward  from  a 
corner  a  large  glass  screen,  bordered  by  an  ornate  and 
heavy  scroll-work  frame.  Back  of  the  screen  was  hung 
a  black  curtain,  which  shut  off  all  reflected  light  from 
the  surface  of  the  glass.  This  screen  was  wheeled  in 
front  of  the  three  chairs.  I  seated  myself  in  the  center. 
Hapgood  was  at  my  right  and  Lady  Somers  was  at  my 
left.  His  voice  now  took  on  the  caressing  notes  of  an 
affectionate  friend  ;  Lady  Somers  leaned  upon  my 
chair,  until  her  warm  breath  fanned  my  cheek,  while 
the  gentle  perfume  of  her  raven-black  hair  whipped 
my  now  half-awakened  senses,  stimulated  from  the  first 
by  the  force  of  the  radiant  vitality  of  this  exquisitely 
indifferent  lady,  who  stood,  apparently,  upon  the  line 
between  the  two  lines  of  life. 

A  dashing  air,  full  of  life,  played  by  an  unseen 
orchestra  of  artists,  brought  my  pulse  up  to  fever- 
beats,  as  a  series  of  pictures  began  to  unfold  upon  the 
screens. 

It  is  possible  that  my  former  self,  for  a  long  time 
relegated    to    a    position    of    sub-consciousness,    now 


THE   DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  143 

struggled  for  supremacy,  In  no  other  way  can  1  ac- 
count for  the  feeling  of  delight  at  the  pictures  which 
represented  pleasure,  luxury,  power,  in  all  the  varying 
forms  of  the  most  artistic  and  munificent  selfishness. 
Throughout  this  splendid  imagery  there  was  not  the 
faintest  touch  of  self-denial  or  of  a  desire  to  benefit 
others.  As  these  representations  of  power  and  pomp 
and  pleasure  passed  before  me,  I  felt  a  sensation  of 
ambition  and  a  thirst  for  power  which  I  thought 
foreign  to  me. 

I  first  noticed  this  change  in  myself  in  gazing  upon 
the  scene  of  a  battle  where  thousands  of  men  were 
portrayed  rushing  at  each  other,  in  a  mad  desire  to 
commit  murder. 

"Actually,  I  have  hopes  of  you,"  said  Hapgood. 
"  You  can  take  pleasure  in  seeing  a  pack  of  fools  try 
to  make  away  with  each  other.  You'll  be  on  the  same 
basis  with  us  the  moment  you  reach  the  conclusion 
that  mankind  is  made  up  of  a  mass  of  fools,  not  worth 
saving,  and  that  the  only  real  pleasure  in  life  is  the 
exercise  of  power.  This  knowledge  is,  to-day,  in  the 
hands  of  the  few  wise  people,  who  show  their  wisdom 
by  guarding  their  interests  against  all  comers.  This  life 
is  the  only  thing  we  know  anything  about.  Grasp  a 
certainty  in  preference  to  a  shadowy  illusion.  The  so- 
called  good  is  a  weak  force,  at  best.  It  works  inter- 
mittently, and  never  with  the  resistless,  unwearying 
force  of  human  selfishness.  Perfect  selfishness  is  the 
true  secret  of  power." 

Hapgood  was  now  silent.  A  slight  turn  of  my  head 
showed  that  he  was  gone.     Now  a  scene  of  beauty  and 


144  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

of  love  was  disclosed  upon  the  scene.  As  I  looked 
upon  the  gracious  forms  which  waved  and  beckoned 
before  me,  the  soft  arms  of  my  companion  stole  around 
my  neck,  and  her  beautiful  face,  now  pillowed  upon 
my  breast,  murmured  words  of  endearment. 

As  I  slowly  turned  towards  Lady  Somers,  her  in- 
fluence ceased.  Between  my  face  and  hers,  there 
extended  a  fair,  white  hand.  As  I  lifted  my  head,  to 
trace  the  source  of  this  intervention,  I  saw,  for  a  fleet- 
ing moment,  the  vision  of  Lady  Flora;  and,  at  the 
sight  of  her  face,  the  warm  blood  changed  to  ice  in 
my  veins.  Had  I  no  more  strength  than  this  to  resist 
temptation  ?  I  felt  for  the  globe  in  my  pocket.  It 
was  gone. 

At  the  thought  of  its  loss,  I  sprung  to  my  feet. 

Lady  Somers  regarded  me  cynically. 

"  You  are  right,"  said  she,  "  I  should  have  despised 
you  if  you  had  yielded  ;  but  you  have  lost,  after  all. 
You  are  outside,  now,  of  the  circle  of  light.  For  to 
half  yield  is  as  deadly  an  offense,  in  their  eyes,  as  if  you 
had  crossed  the  line  completely.  More  than  this,  you 
are  not  entitled  to  the  credit,  for  not  passing  clear 
across  the  line.  It  was  my  successor  in  the  Council 
of  Ten  who  interposed;  so,  if  you  are  saved,,  and  after- 
wards taken  back  to  the  service  of  that  tiresome  circle, 
why,  you  need  not  take  any  credit  to  yourself." 

I  bowed,  in  all  humility,  as  I  said  :  "  There  is  no 
man  vain  enough,  nor  brave  enough,  to  combat  against 
the  intellect  and  the  beauty  of  such  a  woman  as  you. 
If  I  escape  without  any  of  the  honors  of  the  struggle, 
I  am  only  too  well  pleased.     Now  that    I   have  recov- 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  145 

ered,  to  a  certain  extent,  my  ordinary  vision,  I  can  see 
that  you  are  simply  making  sport  of  me." 

"  Even  a  poet  has  an  occasional  gleam  of  seeing 
clearly,"  said  Lady  Somers.  "  Pardon  me  for  my  im- 
pertinent attempt  to  interfere  with  the  plan  of  your  life." 

With  this,  she  walked  out  of  the  room,  with  as 
cheerful  and  as  brisk  an  air  as  if  she  had  been  actuated 
by  the  loftiest  of  motives. 

It  was  now  light  in  the  room  again,  but  the  light  was 
a  luminous  green,  shimmering  with  a  sense  of  ani- 
mosity. Yet  I  felt  no  fear.  I  said  to  myself :  if  I  have 
shown  weakness  in  the  face  of  one  temptation,  I  shall 
at  least  hope  to  redeem  myself  by  courage  in  the  face 
of  danger. 

With  the  stimulus  of  this  thought,  I  turned,  and 
sought  the  room  where  I  had  first  met  Hapgood.  I 
entered  this  room  without  obstacle,  although,  as  I 
crossed  its  threshold,  I  felt  a  shock  from  the  magnetic 
needle,  ever  playing  upon  the  polished  dial  of  the 
center-table. 

Here  I  found  a  new  group,  all  men,  seated  in  a  row. 
They  faced  me  as  judges,  and,  before  I  was  fully  con- 
scious, I  was  seized  and  bound,  and  placed  upon  the 
huge  table,  alongside  the  central  dial. 

My  judges  wore  masks,  and  the  long  robes  of  in- 
quisitors. As  soon  as  I  was  placed  upon  the  table,  I 
became  the  subject  of  a  discussion  of  a  purely  scientific 
character.  I  was  treated  as  a  subject  of  a  scientific 
experiment  about  to  be  made. 

The  leader  in  the  group,  beneath  whose  mask  hung 
a  long,  white  beard,  opened  the  discussion  :     "  I   have 


146  THE   DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE. 

long  held,"  said  he,  "that  mere  good  or  evil  in  one 
depends  largely  upon  the  mechanical  construction  of 
the  brain.  Certain  brain  formations  turn  instinctively 
in  the  direction  of  crime,  or  what  society  has  been 
taught  to  regard  as  wrong.  Now,  I  propose  to  operate 
upon  this  subject  before  me,  who  has  been  treated  by 
a  benevolent  association  of  scientists,  until  he  has  be- 
come weak,  nerveless,  and  incapable  of  any  expression 
except  that  of  sympathy  and  kindness.  To  this  de- 
grading position  in  the  human  scale  has  he  been  forced 
by  one  Mortimer  Mortimer.  Of  him  he  has  made  a 
poet.  Now,  instead  of  destroying  him,  as  Hapgood 
advises,  I  propose  to  make  him  over  into  an  assassin, 
an  emissary  of  this  society,  armed  with  a  will  to  fulfill 
all  its  mandates,  in  our  building  up  of  power.  Those 
who  oppose  us  shall  not  live.  This  man  can  be  taught 
even  to  strike  down  Mortimer  Mortimer.  For,  what  is 
human  nature  but  what  is  created  through  association 
and  brain  impressions.  I  pass  beyond  the  years  re- 
quired to  produce  these  impressions,  and,  by  electrical 
power,  in  a  short  time,  shall  stimulate  the  particular  cells 
of  the  brain  necessary  to  develop  my  idea,  and  I  shall 
thereby  produce  a  man  who  will  obey  my  will,  as  my 
right  hand.  Of  what  use  is  it  to  seek  to  rival  the 
creative  force,  when  we  can  utilize  its  results  thus  laid 
at  our  hand." 

As  he  finished  his  prelude,  he  picked  up  an  elec- 
trical appliance  attached  to  a  battery,  and  advanced 
towards  me  as  he  summoned  several  attendants. 

"  Shave  his  head,"  said  he,  "  so  as  to  leave  bare  the 
points  of  attack.     I  will  begin  at  the  base  of  the  skull 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE   SYNDICATE.  147 

and  destroy,  at  first,  all  sensation  of  humanity,  the  love 
of  mankind." 

I  shrieked  with  horror  at  the  advance  of  the 
attendant. 

No  torture  of  a  physical  character  could  have  rung 
from  me  such  a  cry.  There  was  an  instant  response 
at  the  door.  James  Musgrove  entered.  He  walked 
quickly  up  to  the  table,  and,  with  a  quick,  deft  touch, 
unbound  me  and  placed  me  on  my  feet.  He  turned 
to  the  assembled  inquisitors,  who  now  stood  in  a  circle 
about  us,  advancing  threateningly. 

"  It  is  no  go,"  said  he  ;  "  I  am  not  afraid  of  you. 
You  have  no  power  to  injure  me,  and  my  friend  here  is 
under  my  protection."  With  this,  he  drew  from  his 
pocket  the  globe — the  same  in  character  as  the  one 
which  I  had  lost.  As  he  raised  it,  it  flashed  an  angry 
fire,  and  the  dark  circle  of  enemies  fell  prostrate,  as  if 
paralyzed  by  a  powerful  shock. 

Holding  the  globe  in  his  upright  hand,  Musgrove, 
catching  me  by  the  arm,  said:  "Come,  it  is  time  to  get 
out  of  this.  You  have  had  a  new  and  interesting  experi- 
ence, and,  for  the  present,  you  have  been  tried  enough." 

"  But,"  said  I,  "  I  have  forfeited  my  rights  of  protec- 
tion. I  have  wavered  under  the  influences  of  this 
house,  and  the  proof  of  my  weakness  is  found  in  the 
fact  that  I  no  longer  have  the  globe,  which  was  given 
me  as  the  emblem  of  my  membership  of  the  service  of 
light." 

"Feel  in  your  pocket,"  said  Musgrove,  "before 
you  say  any  more."  My  right  hand  flashed  into  my 
pocket  in  an  instant,  and  there,  oh,  joy!  I  found  my 


I48  THE   DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE. 

emblem  of  membership.  At  my  look  of  surprise, 
Musgrove  said :  "  This  trial  has  been  but  a  simple  one, 
and  is  only  in  the  direction  of  developing  your  char- 
acter. It  has  taught  you  the  lesson  that  the  circle 
of  light  has  opposed  to  it  the  circle  of  darkness,  and 
that  the  principal  work  of  the  circle  of  light  is  in  seek- 
ing to  defeat  the  plans  and  evil  works  of  the  circle 
which  uses  the  weaknesses  of  human  nature  for  the 
extension  of  its  power." 

A  moment  later,  we  were  outside  of  the  house.  It 
was  early  morning.  Musgrove's  cab  was  still  in  waiting. 
He  drove  me  back  hastily  to  my  lodgings  in  Knights 
bridge.  As  I  entered  my  room,  I  found  Musgrove's 
prediction  fulfilled.  Upon  the  writing-desk  of  my  sit- 
ting-room there  was  a  note  addressed  to  me.  It  was 
from  Mortimer  Mortimer. 

This  note,  in  brief  and  formal  phrases,  conferred 
upon  me  the  important  office  of  chief  of  one  of  the  sec- 
tions of  light,  whose  special  duty  was  to  watch  and 
guard  against  the  evil  influences  of  Ronald  Hapgood 
and  Lady  Somers,  both  deserters  from  the  original 
service  of  light.  In  this  letter,  I  was  told  to  devote  my 
entire  attention  to  them,  and  to  try  and  see  if  I  could 
not  win  them  back  to  the  cause  which  they  had 
deserted.  To  them  and  their  influences  could  be 
traced  nearly  all  the  great  crimes  of  Europe.  The 
influence  sent  out  from  the  station  of  evil  is,  at  times, 
strong  enough  to  overcome,  temporarily,  the  influence 
of  the  station  of  light. 

This  episode  closes  the  history  of  my  preliminary  ex- 
periences in  pursuit  of  The  Disappearance   Syndicate. 


THE    DISAPPEARANCE    SYNDICATE.  149 

At  some  day  in  the  future,  I  hope  to  be  able  to  relate 
some  of  the  experiences  of  the  position  assigned  to  me 
as  chief  of  the  section  of  light.  I  have  had  to  employ 
tireless  energy  and  attention  to  counteract  the  evil  in- 
fluences of  the  circle  dominated  by  Mr.  Ronald  Hap- 
good,  who  occupies,  to-day,  before  the  world,  the  posi- 
tion of  editor  of  one  of  the  most  fashionable  society 
papers  in  London. 


THE   END. 


Senator  Stanley's   Story 


:o 


CHAPTER  I. 

SENATOR      STANLEY     OUTLINES     THE     THREAD     OF     A 
PECULIAR    STORY. 

I  am  a  senator  of  the  United  States.  A  man  who 
has  reached  a  position  in  this  body,  by  fair  means  or 
otherwise,  has  had  much  experience  ;  he  certainly  has 
been  through  enough  to  kill  all  romance  and  senti- 
mentalism  of  disposition.  As  a  brother  senator  of 
mine  once  said  :  "  A  man  who  reaches  the  Senate  of 
the  United  States  has  been  chased  and  torn  on  the 
way  by  bloodhounds,  tramped  over  and  tossed  by  wild 
elephants  to  such  an  extent  that  nothing  afterwards 
can  hurt  him."  This  remark  was  brought  out  by  a 
question  concerning  an  editorial  in  a  leading  New  York 
newspaper,  which  tore  the  character  of  my  friend  to 
shreds,  and  held  him  up  as  an  object  of  contumely 
before  its  readers. 

Possibly,  my  senatorial  friend  exaggerated  the  diffi- 
culties along  the  path  to  the  Senate,  so  as  to  properly 
set  off  his  own  success  in  getting  there,  but  there  was 
a  touch  of  truth  in  his  highly-colored  and  dramatic 
picture  of  the  road  to  the  position  of  a  senator.  We 
senators  know  that  we  are  a  class  set  apart.  We  are  the 
eighty-eight  men  who  have  captured  the  first  prizes  of 
American  politics,  and  it  cannot  be  denied  that  we 
always  maintain  the  superiority  of  our  positions. 


156  SENATOR    STANLEY'S    STORY. 

But  I  must  not  forget  that  I  have  a  story  to  tell.  I 
have  acquired  a  bad  habit,  in  the  Senate  debates,  of 
rambling  at  will  when  engaged  in  a  discourse,  and  it  is 
difficult  for  me  to  harness  myself  down  to  the  straight 
way  of  a  succinct  narrative.  From  a  friend,  a  successful 
writer,  I  have  learned  the  following  rule  for  telling  a 
story ;  it  is  :  Begin  at  the  beginning  and  stop  when 
you  have  finished. 

This  looks  like  a  simple  rule,  but  I  find  it  will  re- 
quire some  practice  to  follow  it  absolutely.  I  shall 
begin  with  myself,  in  this  very  peculiar  story  which  I 
have  to  tell.  To  make  it  understood,  I  am  obliged  to 
say  something  about  my  character  and  position.  First, 
I  am  fifty-five  years  of  age.  My  wife  is  dead  ;  I  lived 
with  her  twenty  years.  She  has  now  been  dead  five 
years.  She  was  a  quiet,  self-contained  woman,  not 
given  to  much  talk.  Our  marriage  was  a  happy  one 
as  marriages  go.  She  was  a  faithful  wife,  and  I  was  a 
reasonably  faithful  husband.  I  never  dreamed  an  old 
man's  foil}-  of  trying  to  replace  her.  I  have  two  sons, 
both  grown  up,  and  in  business  in  Denver.  Both  are 
married.  I  have  been  alone  for  some  time,  but  I  find 
there  are  worse  things  than  that.  I  have  lived  for 
many  years  in  a  house  of  my  own  at  Washington.  It 
is  a  good,  well-built  house,  roomy  and  complete  in  all 
its  appointments.  It  is  in  charge  of  a  very  wise,  very 
quiet  and  good-mannered  colored  man  of  middle  life. 
There  is  not  a  woman  employed  about  the  house.  As 
a  consequence,  my  house  is  always  quiet  and  in  a  good 
state  of  discipline.  My  cook  is  an  especially  good  one 
and  understands  my  simple  tastes.      I   have   had    good 


SENATOR   STANLEYS   STORY.  I  57 

health  and  an  ample  fortune.  My  position  in  the 
Senate  was  assured.  Up  to  a  year  ago,  I  knew  I  could 
stay  there  as  long  as  I  wished,  because  there  had  been, 
for  a  long  time,  no  opposition  to  me  in  my  State.  I 
was  a  welcome  guest  in  every  house  of  note  in  Wash- 
ington. My  ten  odd  years  of  social  experience  de- 
veloped my  powers  of  entertaining.  I  flatter  myself 
that  I  was  not  a  dull  companion  at  the  dinner-table, 
and  I  could  endure  a  general  reception  with  the 
stoicism  of  a  veteran. 

You  might  think  that  life  should  have  had  for  me 
a  look  of  cheerfulness,  and  that  I  should  have  been 
contented  to  float  down  the  stream  of  life  to  its 
unknown  and  unknowable  destination  with  some- 
thing approaching  contentment.  Such  contentment 
was  possible,  but  now  that  sentiment  is  past.  How 
mere  physical  comfort  ceased  to  be  a  source  of  con- 
tentment will  be  found  by  any  one  who  is  patient 
enough  to  read  what  follows.  Let  me  add  one  or 
two  more  points  about  myself.  All  my  busy  life  I 
have  been  a  materialist.  In  matters  of  religion,  I 
have  said  simply  I  do  not  know ;  what  appears  to 
be  evidence  to  others  of  a  future  life  has  never  ap- 
pealed to  my  reason.  I  have  always  treated  religion, 
however,  with  great  respect.  I  have  always  thought 
it  most  unfortunate  that  there  was  not  some  high 
court  of  appeal  to  settle  disputed  questions  of  religion  ; 
but  as  there  is  none,  I  have  always  regarded  such  dis- 
cussions as  idle  and  impracticable.  In  fact,  I  have 
refused  to  bother  my  mind  with  them.  In  politics,  I 
have  very  positive  convictions :  but  it  is  not  necessary 


158  SENATOR    STANLEY'S    STORY. 

to  say  to  which  one  of  the  great  parties  I  belong.  I 
will  merely  add,  that  never  in  my  great  career  have  I 
occupied  a  position  on  the  fence. 

I  have  a  friend,  Martin  Reynolds,  who  is  an  old 
school-mate.  He  is  rich.  He  made  his  money  in 
railroad  building.  He  was  always  a  member  of  the 
construction  company.  He  is  married,  and  has  two 
grown  daughters,  Mary  and  Florence.  His  wife  is  a 
very  dark,  well-preserved  brunette,  who  thinks  her 
husband  is  one  of  the  greatest  men  this  country  has 
yet  produced.  She  is  familiar  with  good  society,  to 
which  she  is  devoted.  She  is  not  brilliant  nor  par- 
ticularly well  informed,  but  she  makes  no  blunders. 
She  does  not  have  that  unpardonable  vice  of  some 
Washington  women  of  affecting  an  interest  in  politics. 
The  two  daughters  have  a  more  pretentious  educa- 
tion, but  still  remain  good,  genuine,  clean-minded 
American  girls.  My  friend  Reynolds  has  retired  from 
railroad  building  and  has  settled  down  in  Washington. 
He  has  an  amiable  weakness  for  entertaining  people 
of  high  official  position.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Metropolitan  Club,  and,  thanks  to  his  wife,  is  noted 
for  his  good  dinners  and  his  entertaining.  I,  myself, 
have  never  belonged  to  any  club.  I  regard  them 
as  mere  social  trades  unions  for  the  advancement  of 
those  who  are  either  socially  or  mentally  feeble. 

Reynolds'  house  is  an  old  colonial  one  on  Panorama 
Heights  in  Washington.  It  is  built  in  the  solid  fashion 
of  the  early  days,  and  is  touched  up  with  the  light  hand 
and  color  of  modern  taste  and  comfort.  Reynolds  has 
a  good  deal  of  time  on   his  hands,   and  as  he  is  very 


SENATOR   STANLEYS    STORY.  I  59 

active,  he    has    always    been    on  the  lookout   for  new 
forms  of  entertainment. 

One  day,  in  April,  I  think  it  was  near  the  middle,  I 
received  the  following  note  from  him  :  "  My  dear 
Senator  :  I  have  captured  such  an  odd  fish  for  a  guest. 
He  is  a  Hindoo  fakir.  No,  perhaps  I  should  not  call 
him  that  ;  I  believe  he  calls  himself  an  expert.  He  is 
a  great  juggler.  I  have  invited  a  few  friends  out  to  see 
him  this  evening.  He  is  going  to  give  some  tests  of 
his  wonderful  power.     Be  sure  and  come. 

"  Reynolds." 

This  note  I  received  late  in  the  afternoon,  just  be- 
fore dinner.  It  came  very  opportunely.  I  was  very 
nearly  in  a  temper.  I  had,  practically,  been  called  a 
liar,  in  the  brief  space  of  one  afternoon  by,  at  least, 
two  members  of  the  opposition,  because  I  had  tried  to 
tell  the  truth  about  a  certain  railroad  scheme  that  was 
slowly,  but  surely,  wriggling  its  way  through  the 
Senate.  I  had  also  found  in  my  mail,  upon  my  return 
to  the  house,  a  scathing  editorial  of  a  distinguished 
independent  editor,  calling  the  attention  of  the  public 
to  my  suspicious  attitude  in  opposing  this  railroad 
scheme.  "  Was  the  senator,  or  were  his  friends,  bearing 
the  stock?"  asked  the  editor  ;  "for  we  see  no  other 
motive  for  his  peculiar  actions."  To  be  called  a  liar 
by  two  colleagues  in  one  day,  and  then  to  be  pointed 
out  as  an  object  of  suspicion  by  a  leading  editor,  because 
I  was  really  trying  to  do  my  duty,  were  enough  to  dis- 
turb even  my  philosophy.  But  this  note,  and  the 
prospect  of  a  pleasant  evening,  made  me  forget  my 
annoyances. 


l6o  SENATOR   STANLEY'S   STORY. 

I  knew,  at  Reynolds'  house,  I  should  see  pleasant 
people,  and  if  the  visit  included  some  curious  diversion 
by  the  Hindoo,  his  special  guest,  why,  so  much  the 
better.  If  I  could  have  foreseen  the  result  of  that  visit, 
I  would  have  fled  to  the  opposite  end  of  the  earth 
before  I  would  have  gone.  In  calm  ignorance  of  any- 
thing, but  the  prospect  of  an  agreeable  evening  of 
ordinary  social  converse,  I  prepared,  soon  after  an 
early  six  o'clock  dinner,  to  go  out. 


i6i 


CHAPTER    II. 

SEANCE  OF  THE  HINDOO  ADEPT  AT  REYNOLDS'  HOUSE. 

I  drove  from  my  house,  on  Massachusetts  avenue, 
out  on  the  wide  and  spacious  Sixteenth  street,  over  the 
hill.  In  twenty  minutes  from  the  time  I  left  my  house, 
I  was  alighting  at  my  friend's  door.  I  paused  for  a 
moment  under  the  old-fashioned  porch,  supported  by 
four  solid  gray  granite  pillars,  before  ringing  the  bell. 
The  air  was  very  sweet  and  moist.  The  odor  of  the 
spring  was  heavy  upon  the  languid  atmosphere.  In 
the  west,  great  blue-black  clouds  were  slowly  moving 
forward  with  flashings  of  lightning  playing  in  and  out 
of  their  huge  masses.  The  color  of  the  bank  of  advanc- 
ing clouds,  under  the  play  of  the  lightning,  ran  through 
a  brilliant  scale,  from  faint  azure-gray  tones,  to  royal 
purple  and  then  densely  blue-black.  The  stillness  of 
the  air  was  broken,  occasionally,  by  short,  sharp  gusts, 
flying  messengers  in  advance  of  the  approaching  storm. 
I  stood  for  a  moment  lost  in  reverie,  gazing  upon  the 
majestic  spectacle,  when  the  sound  of  voices  within  the 
house  recalled  me  to  myself,  and  I  rang  the  bell,  after 
dismissing  my  carriage. 

I  found  the  lower  part  of  the  house  well  lighted.  It 
was  now  nearly  half-past  eight.  The  guests  were 
gathered  about  a  very  distinguished-looking  man,  of 
the  Oriental  type.    They  were  assembled  in  the  library- 


1 62  SENATOR   STANLEY'S   STORY. 

room,  at  the  right  of  the  main  hall.  In  the  group 
about  him,  I  recognized  Reynolds,  his  wife,  their  two 
daughters,  the  Secretary  of  State  and  his  wife,  the 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  and  his  keen,  intellectual, 
cynical-looking  daughter,  three  or  four  senatorial  friends, 
and  several  members  of  the  diplomatic  colony. 

I  give  this  group  merely  to  indicate  the  stage-setting 
about  the  scene  where  Ram  Chunder,  the  Hindoo  ex- 
pert, and  I  were  soon  to  play  the  principal  parts  in  what 
you  may  call  comedy  or  tragedy,  as  you  please. 

The  East  Indian  wore  the  conventional  evening  dress 
of  polite  society.  He  appeared,  to  me,  to  be  about 
fifty  years  of  age.  He  was  tall,  with  a  thin,  spare 
figure.  His  head  was  long,  and  broad  at  the  top. 
His  hair  was  a  short  grizzled  gray,  nearly  as  white  as 
his  turban,  the  only  bit  of  Oriental  dress  retained  by 
him.  His  face  was  angular,  and  deeply  lined  with 
the  strokes  that  character  and  experience  alone  can 
stamp  upon  the  human  countenance.  His  eyes  were 
dark,  and  deep  set,  glowing  with  a  subdued  fire,  an 
inner  light  rather  than  an  outward  sparkle.  His 
nose  was  a  fierce  hook,  with  a  broad  base.  His 
mouth  was  thin-lined,  very  firm  in  its  outlines,  and, 
partly,  hidden  by  a  drooping  gray  mustache,  which 
shaded  into  a  spiky  beard  of  a  lighter  tint.  In  his 
shirt  bosom  there  was  a  small  emerald,  which  glowed 
in  the  light  with,  apparently,  more  expression  than 
was  visible  in  its  owner's  eyes.  His  long,  slim,  dark- 
brown  hands  were  devoid  of  ornament,  except  for  a 
great  opal,  set  in  a  solid  gold  band,  and  worn  upon 
the   middle   finger   of  the  left    hand.      This  left  hand 


SENATOR   STANLEY'S   STORY.  1 63 

rested  lightly  upon  a  round  oaken  center-table,  which 
had  been  stripped  bare  of  ornaments,  books,  and 
cover,  for  his  use. 

I  found  the  company  so  absorbed  in  some  mysterious 
source  of  excitement  that  my  entrance  was  hardly 
noticed.  Reynolds  presented  me  in  half  a  word  to 
Ram  Chunder,  as  I  made  a  sweeping  general  bow  to 
the  company,  all  of  whom  were  known  to  me.  The 
Oriental  made  a  profound  impression  upon  me.  He 
was  seated  as  the  host  introduced  me.  The  expert  did 
not  rise,  and  he  scarcely  bowed,  yet  his  manner  gave 
me  the  impression  of  a  very  subtle  and  penetrating 
courtesy.  A  slight  sensation  of  fear,  incomprehensible 
and  unexplainable,  stole  over  me  as  I  met  his  look. 
His  figure  appeared  to  radiate  a  sense  of  great  power. 
Burke  says  that  all  ideas  of  power  are  associated  in  the 
minds  of  men  with  ideas  of  fear.  I  am  not  an  imagina- 
tive man.  I  am  not  even  nervous.  I  had  never  seen 
a  man  who  could  produce  upon  me  the  sensation  of 
fear  until  I  saw  this  Hindoo  expert.  In  his  presence, 
for  a  moment,  I  felt  as  must  a  raw,  young  trooper  feel 
when  first  a  gleaming  bayonet  in  the  hands  of  a 
vigorous  enemy  darts  towards  his  breast.  There  was 
the  same  faintness  of  the  stomach  and  the  shiver  along 
the  spine.  These  sensations  were  so  wonderful  to  me 
that  I  was  quite  content  to  sit  down  and  ask  no  ques- 
tions concerning  the  strange  scene  which  was  being 
enacted  in  this  great  circular  room. 

A  silent  conversation  was  going  on  between  Ram 
Chunder  and  those  about  him.  As  an  evidence  of  the 
peculiar  power  of  an  expert,  he  had  said  that  he  would 


164  SENATOR   STANLEY'S   STORY. 

engage  in  a  mental  conversation  with  those  present. 
Questions  were  to  be  asked  mentally  by  individuals,  in 
turn,  and  his  answers  were  to  be  made  by  flashing  a 
reply  upon  the  consciousness  of  the  questioner.  This 
test  had  just  begun  when  I  entered.  The  Secretary  of 
State  had  been  favored  with  the  first  mental  conversa- 
tion. The  Secretary  was  an  amiable,  consequential, 
old  gentleman,  described  by  a  friend  as  a  man  whose 
mind  went  to  sleep  at  three  o'clock  every  afternoon. 
He  had  listened  to  the  explanation  of  what  was  re- 
quired of  him,  with  an  easy,  vacuous  look.  There  was 
a  silence  as  Ram  Chunder  dwelt  upon  the  importance 
of  the  questioner  keeping  his  mind  absolutely  upon  the 
subject  of  the  inquiry  made.  There  was  such  a  pos- 
sibility of  delusion  in  the  whole  thing.  How  could 
one  know  whether  the  mental  question  was  really  an- 
swered ?  was  asked  by  several.  Said  Ram  Chunder : 
"  That  you  can  only  know  by  experiment.  You  will 
have  no  doubt  when  the  answer  comes  that  it  is  the 
real  answer  and  from  me."  Then  he  added,  quietly : 
"  As  a  storm  will  soon  burst  over  this  house  that  will 
make  ordinary  talking  impossible,  you  will  find  this 
method  of  exchanging  thoughts  quite  advantageous." 

There  were  some  further  preliminaries  to  arrange. 
It  was  agreed  that  the  questioners  should  make  a 
record  of  the  conversation.  Each  questioner  was  given 
a  pad  of  paper,  with  a  pencil.  The  question  was  first 
to  be  written,  and  then  the  answer  was  to  be  promptly 
recorded.  Where  possible  and  agreeable,  the  records 
were  to  be  shown ;  but  I  noticed  that  there  was  very 
little  heartiness  in  the  approval  of  this  proposal. 


SENATOR    STANLEY'S    STORY.  165 

I  would  not  have  trusted,  for  a  moment,  this  first  ex- 
periment to  the  lively  imagination  of  the  ladies  present. 
Their  highly-sensitive  organizations  were  strung  up  t<> 
an  unnatural  tension — an  atmosphere  overcharged 
with  the  electricity  of  the  coming  storm — and,  stimu- 
lated by  an  experiment  of  such  an  unusual  character, 
their  powers  of  imagination  might  lead  them  into  the 
realm  of  delusion.  But  the  Secretary  of  State  had  no 
imagination.  He  could  be  safely  trusted  to  lead  off. 
He  began  his  questions  with  a  most  impassive  face.  I 
almost  knew,  from  the  grave  lines  of  his  countenance, 
that  he  was  asking  some  serious  diplomatic  question. 
I  was  wondering  how  a  reply  could  be  flashed  upon 
his  feeble  consciousness,  when  I  heard  the  Secretary 
give  a  chuckle  of  delight ;  and  then,  after  one  or  two 
more  seconds  of  silence,  he  waved  his  hand  gracefully, 
and  said  :  "  I  am  satisfied.     I  am  more  than  satisfied." 

I  may  as  well  add,  right  here,  that  I  afterwards 
talked  with  every  one  of  the  persons  present  upon  this 
eventful  night,  and  they  all  agreed  that  their  questions 
were  answered  correctly.  The  Secretary  of  State  con- 
fessed with  difficult}-.  From  the  meager  scraps  I  pulled 
from  him  before  my  own  experience  began,  I  learned 
that  his  conversation  with  Ram  Chunder  must  have 
run  about  as  follows  : 

"Shall  I  ever  see  the  beautiful,  red-headed  girl  who 
applied  to  me,  the  other  morning,  for  amanuensis 
work?  " 

"You  certainly  will.  Red-headed  girls  in  search  of 
work  from  statesmen,  if  given  a  little  encouragement, 
are  very  apt  to  call  again." 


l66  SENATOR    STANLEY'S    STORY. 

"  You  think  there  is  no  harm  in  my  taking  a  paternal 
interest  in  her?  She  is  so  young,  and  she  says  she  is 
all  alone  in  the  world." 

"  Harm  ?  I  think  there  is  no  more  touching  sight 
in  the  world  than  the  interest  taken  by  weary,  worn 
men  of  affairs  in  young  and  good-looking  women,  how- 
ever unfortunate  and  lonely  in  life  they  may  be.  It 
shows  that  no  experience  of  life  is  sufficient  to  quite 
stamp  out  youthful  freshness  from  the  human  heart." 

I  shall  not  report  the  details  of  the  other  conversa- 
tions as  I  obtained  them.  I  give  that  with  the  Secre- 
tary of  State,  in  order  to  gratify  a  very  laudable 
public  curiosity  to  know  some  of  the  phases  of  the 
workings  of  a  great  mind,  and  will  pass  directly  to  a 
most  serious  conversation  had  between  Ram  Chunder 
and  myself.  The  others  reported  to  me  lighter  sub- 
jects of  talk.  Perhaps,  if  I  had  started  the  conversa- 
tion with  Ram  Chunder,  I  might  have  had  a  different 
experience.  At  the  very  instant  it  was  my  turn,  there 
came  to  me,  as  distinctly  and  clearly  as  if  it  had  been 
fairly  shouted  in  my  ear  :  "  I  have  a  message  for  you, 
of  the  greatest  importance." 

Now,  I  quite  despair  of  making  clear  just  how  this 
sentence  reached  my  mind.  It  came  to  me  so  posi- 
tively that  I  drew  myself  up  with  all  my  senatorial 
dignity,  and  said,  mentally  :  "At  your  service." 

I  cannot  explain  just  how,  for  the  time  being,  I 
surrendered  my  reason,  and  soon  ceased  even  to  won- 
der. I  cannot  say  that  I  believed  in  the  man.  I  may 
have  thought  that  he  had  some  peculiar  power  of  pro- 
ducing illusions.     Something  of  this  was  in  my  mind, 


SENATOR    STANLEY'S    STORY.  l6j 

when  he  said,  mentally  :  "  I  see  you  do  not  believe  in 
me  very  much.  You  concede  a  certain  peculiar  ability, 
but  you  really  question  my  power  to  do  anything  not 
explainable  by  known  natural  laws." 

This  came  to  me  so  clearly  that,  for  the  life  of  me,  I 
could  not  help  nodding  my  head  affirmatively.  Then 
it  occurred  to  me  that  I  was  not  fully  exercising  my 
will  against  possible  illusion.  I  was  permitting  my 
now  awakened  imagination  to  gallop  at  a  pace  in  keep 
ing  with  the  mad  rush  of  the  storm  that  was  now  dash- 
ing against  the  house  with  great  fury.  I  pride  myself 
upon  my  will.  I  set  my  teeth  firmly,  as  I  said  to  my 
self:  "Well,  my  black-faced  friend,  try  your  best  to 
humbug  me.     I  give  you  permission." 

"  You  defy  my  powrer,"  came  to  me,  as  direct  as  if 
from  a  telegraph  instrument. 

"Yes,"  was  my  mental  reply. 

Ram  Chunder  now  turned  and  looked  at  Reynolds. 
The  host  at  once  arose,  stepped  to  the  door,  where  he 
called  a  servant  to  bring  a  glass  of  water  and  place  it 
in  front  of  the  expert. 

Then  Reynolds  spoke.  He  said :  "  Ram  Chunder 
can  converse,  mentally,  with  but  one  at  a  time.  To 
save  time,  I  will  explain  to  you  what  he  is  going  to  do. 
He  is  going  to  take  this  glass  of  pure  water  and  give 
you  two  illustrations  of  his  power  before  continuing  his 
conversation  with  the  senator.  The  first  experiment 
will  be  visible  to  you  all,  directly  under  the  light  of  the 
chandelier,  where  the  glass  stands.  The  second  will  be 
very  interesting.  He  will,  without  approaching  the 
water,    or   without   touching,    in   any  way,    the    table, 


1 68  SENATOR    STANLEY'S    STORY. 

change  the  harmless  contents  of  the  glass  into  the  most 
deadly  poison." 

Need  I  say  that  I  was  the  most  intensely  interested 
member  of  this  group  ?  Why  this  parade  of,  what 
appeared  to  be,  supernatural  power  before  giving  me 
my  message  ? 

But,  as  I  thought  this,  the  expert  raised  the  glass  to 
his  lips  and  swallowed  a  draught  of  it  to  show  its 
harmlessness. 

Then  he  placed  the  glass  at  a  distance  from  him, 
and,  with  his  hands  folded  gracefully  in  his  lap,  he 
looked  steadfastly  at  the  water.  It  was  in  a  plain,  cut- 
glass  goblet,  devoid  of  ornament,  heavy  and  clumsy  in 
its  lines.  There  was  now  a  lull  in  the  storm.  Each 
one  followed,  earnestly,  the  gaze  of  the  expert  and 
concentrated  his  attention  upon  the  same  object.  The 
silence  was  profound. 

Faintly,  now,  there  began  to  dawn,  upon  this  clear 
water,  a  pink  glow.  Then  this  glow  deepened,  until  it 
became  the  color  of  blood.  A  light  shudder  ran 
through  the  circle  at  this  mysterious  change,  and  then 
the  solid  color  began  to  take  form.  Light  places  ap- 
peared in  the  water,  and,  in  a  moment  more,  a  great 
red  rose,  full,  velvety  and  fragrant,  appeared  upon  its 
surface  ;  perhaps  the  strangest  part  of  this  incident  lies 
in  the  fact  that  there  was  no  surprise  expressed  at  this 
apparent  miracle,  although  murmurs  of  admiration  were 
heard  on  all  sides.  Now  the  rose  faded,  and,  again,  in 
another  moment,  the  water  became  blood-red,  paled, 
and  once  more  was  as  before. 

A  light-green  vapor  was  now  seen  hovering  over  the 


IT    PASSED    STRAIGHT    THROUGH    THE    CEILING,     VANISHING     INTO     Till: 
NIGHT."     Pack    170. 


I70  SENATOR    STANLEY'S    STORY. 

glass.  The  water  caught  its  reflection,  and  soon  it 
took  on  a  tone  that  suggested  a  poison  of  the  most 
malignant  character.  I  am  not  a  superstitious  man, 
by  heredity  or  training,  but  I  would  not  then  have 
breathed  the  air  hovering  over  this  glass  to  have  saved 
my  seat  in  the  United  States  Senate.  In  a  second, 
almost,  the  vapor  and  color  faded.  The  water  was 
clear  again.     Was  it  really  poison  ? 

There  was  a  secret  signal  from  Ram  Chunder ;  Rey- 
nolds went  to  the  door,  and  again  called  to  the  servant. 
The  man  entered  the  room  five  minutes  afterwards, 
bringing  with  him  a  purple  dove,  from  a  cote  in  the 
rear  of  the  house.  Dazzled  by  being  brought,  sud- 
denly, into  the  light,  it  stared,  stupidly,  about,  and  did 
not  flutter  or  struggle. 

Obeying  instructions,  always  given  mentally,  Rey- 
nolds stepped  forward  and  held  the  dove,  at  arm's 
length,  over  the  water,  so  that  its  head  was  not  more 
than  an  inch  above  the  fluid.  The  water  flashed  an 
angry  green  light,  and  in  the  instant  the  bird  was  dead. 
Reynolds  placed  it,  gently,  upon  the  table,  as  he  stepped 
back,  apparently  stricken  with  fear.  A  blue  vapor 
floated  over  the  bird  a  moment  ;  then,  from  the  pros- 
trate form  there  moved  upward  another  bird,  exactly 
like  the  dead  one  in  form  and  color,  and  passed  straight 
through  the  ceiling,  vanishing  into  the  hurry  and  roar 
of  the  storm. 


i7i 


CHAPTER    III. 

PERSONAL   EXPERIENCE    OF   THE    SENATOR    WITH    THE 
POWER   OF   THE    ADEPT. 

Ram  Chunder  now  turned  to  me,  and  said  :  "  Are 
you  satisfied  that  you  are  in  the  presence  of  unknown 
forces  ?  "  And,  then,  without  waiting  for  my  reply,  he 
bade  me,  in  the  silent  language  of  which  he  was  master, 
to  fix  my  gaze  upon  the  glass  of  water. 

From  that  moment  my  surroundings  disappeared 
from,  what  I  shall  call,  for  lack  of  a  better  term,  my 
normal  vision.  The  room,  the  people,  the  table,  every- 
thing first  became  dim  in  the  mist  that  ascended  from 
the  glass,  and  then,  in  a  moment,  I  was  looking  into 
what  seemed,  to  me,  to  be  another  world.  I  could  not, 
by  any  exercise  of  my  will,  change  back  to  my  preced- 
ing condition.  My  body  was  as  if  I  were  dead.  Only 
the  intelligence  lived,  and  gazed  out  of  the  body  as 
from  a  frame,  from  which  it  might,  at  any  moment,  be 
released,  following,  without  question,  the  will  of  an  all- 
controlling  master. 

I  saw  the  past  unfold  before  me,  like  the  leaves  of 
a  book.  Every  incident  of  my  life  was  repeated  in  a 
series  of  flashing  pictures.  Notwithstanding  the  rapidity 
of  their  lightning-like  production,  not  a  single  detail 
was  lost  to  me  ;  my  super-sensitized  vision  recorded 
everything  as  sharply  and   as   distinctly  as  if  years  had 


172  SENATOR    STANLEYS    STORY. 

been  employed  in  presenting  visions,  instead  of  a  brief 
fraction  of  a  second. 

I  assure  you  it  is  not  agreeable  to  sit  as  a  spectator 
and  see,  so  correctly,  the  incidents  of  one's  past.  No 
illusion  was  possible.  There  was  no  cloud  of  personal 
passion  or  prejudice  to  stand  between  me  and  them. 
For  the  first  time  in  my  life,  I  was  enabled  to  see  things 
exactly  as  they  were.  I  had  not  supposed,  up  to  that 
time,  that  I  was  either  better  or  worse  than  the  average 
man.  But,  as  I  sat  in  judgment  upon  myself,  with  the 
clear  record  before  me,  I  could  not  help  being  deeply 
impressed  by  the  intense  selfishness  and  hopeless  petti- 
ness of  it  all.  My  loftiest  ambitions  looked  very  small 
and  unworthy.  Any  evidence  of  self-denial,  any  sacri- 
fice for  the  good  of  another,  did  not  appear.  Often 
some  charitable  act  would  come  to  the  surface,  but  it 
was  always  the  result  of  mere  idle  good-nature,  and 
never  represented  any  thought  or  sacrifice  on  my  part. 

Suddenly,  the  pictures  ceased.  A  mist  again  swam 
before  my  eyes.  A  voice,  as  from  a  distance,  came  to 
me,  saying  :  "  Of  what  use  has  been  your  life  ?  Who 
has  been  better  for  your  living  ?  In  what  way  has  the 
world  been  a  gainer  by  your  presence  in  it  ?  " 

I  am  willing  to  confess  that  such  questions  addressed 
to  me,  normally,  under  the  ordinary  natural  conditions 
of  life,  would  not  have  bothered  me.  I  would  have 
made  most  satisfactory  replies  to  any  such  queries  if 
they  had  been  propounded  to  me  in  the  open  Senate  ; 
but  here  it  was  different. 

The  questions  pierced  to  my  inner  consciousness, 
and  appeared   to    compel,  by  some    mighty  power,  the 


SENATOR    STANLEYS    STORY.  1 73 

exact  truth  in  reply.  My  new  vision  made  no  reply 
possible.  I  was  crushed  with  the  sense  of  the  utter 
and  dire  failure  of  my  life. 

Now,  there  came  another  change.  The  visions  began 
again.  I  was  invited  to  project  my  consciousness  into 
the  future.  I  had  no  will  but  to  consent.  I  was  borne 
along  upon  a  tide  I  could  not  resist.  You  cannot  know 
the  hopeless  horror  of  the  thing.  I  felt  myself  a  mere 
waif  in  the  hands  of  unseen  and  irresistible  forces.  My 
mental  pride  was  crushed.  My  physical  courage  was 
gone. 

From  then  on  I  saw  nothing  of  individual  freedom. 
I  was  bound  in  strong  fetters,  and  the  end  of  my  life 
appeared  so  dark  and  so  dismal  that  I  will  not  here 
dwell  upon  it,  as  I  wish  to  make  no  appeal  to  any  one's 
sympathies.  I  will  simply  speak  of  the  after-effects  of 
that  evening.  At  the  close  of  the  conversation  with 
the  expert,  I  was  told  that  I  had  forfeited  my  right  to 
my  own  individuality  through  my  selfish  love  of  com- 
fort, and  that  I  must  be  prepared,  at  any  moment,  to 
surrender  that  individuality  to  influences  which  would 
make  a  better  use  of  the  opportunity  afforded  by  my 
position. 

I  went  home  in  rather  a  dazed  frame  of  mind. 


174 


CHAPTER    IV. 

THE    TRANSFORMATION    IN   THE    SENATE    CHAMBER. 

The  next  morning  the  scene  of  the  preceding  even- 
ing appeared  like  a  dream.  In  fact,  I  could  not  con- 
ceive, in  the  bright  light  of  open  day,  in  the  quiet 
serenity  of  my  own  house,  how  I  could  have  been  so 
affected  by  the  incidents  of  the  evening  before.  My 
mind  was  in  a  quiet  state,  and  I  turned  to  my  morning 
paper,  and  documents  requiring  attention,  with  more 
than  ordinary  interest.  I  returned  to  my  philosophical 
frame  of  mind  by  saying  to  myself  that  things  that  are 
not  naturally  explainable  should  be  dismissed  from  all 
consideration. 

I  went  to  the  Senate  chamber  at  an  early  hour.  There 
was  to  be  a  hearing  before  a  committee,  of  which  I  was 
a  member.  I  do  not  now  recall  the  question  that  was 
pending ;  the  proceedings  were  of  a  routine  character, 
and  no  one  there  observed  anything  unusual  about  my 
manner.  I  then  remember  going  to  the  Senate  cham- 
ber, and  there  I  listened,  with  more  than  ordinary 
interest,  to  the  opening  prayer  of  the  chaplain.  He 
appeared  to  direct  his  attention  to  me  from  the  first. 
There  were  only  two  or  three  members  in  the  Senate 
chamber,  as  few  come  in  before  the  prayer  is  ended. 
Some  moral  reflections  in  this  good  man's  discourse 
stirred,  somewhere  in  my  organization,  a  dull  repetition 


SENATOR   STANLEY'S    STORY.  175 

of  the  questions  of  the  night  before.  What  had  I 
really  accomplished  beyond  achieving  personal  comfort 
for  myself  ? 

During  the  morning  hour,  I  wrote  letters.  1  dwell 
upon  the  incidents  of  the  morning  because  this  was, 
really,  the  last  day  of  my  normal  life.  It  is  not  often 
given  to  a  man  to  witness  the  closing  hours  of  his  own 
existence,  and  to  be  able  to  write,  correctly,  and  in 
his  own  person,  the  story  of  his  departure  from  this 
life.  I  did  not  go  away  in  any  ordinary  sense,  and  no 
one  will  be  more  surprised  than  my  friends  when  they 
come  to  read  this  assertion. 

At  fifteen  minutes  past  two,  on  the  day  following  my 
visit  to  Reynolds'  house,  I  rose  to  make  a  speech  upon 
a  measure  which  had  been  pending  before  the  Senate 
for  some  time.  It  was  a  general  proposition  relating 
to  the  proper  government  of  the  business  affairs  of  the 
various  great  railroad  companies  in  their  relations 
to  the  public.  According  to  the  traditions  of  my 
political  career,  I  took,  naturally,  the  strong  side  of  the 
corporations,  and  in  this  I  was  thoroughly  in  harmony 
with  the  spirit  which  prevailed  in  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States.  I  had  not,  however,  openly,  said  that 
the  people  had  no  rights  in  the  matter,  and  that  the 
rights  of  the  public  should  not  be  protected  as  against 
the  rights  and  claims  of  these  corporations.  My  views 
concerning  the  subject  were  well  known.  My  whole 
success  in  life  had  dated  from  early  connections  with 
corporations.  I  had  represented  them  before  the  Legis- 
lature of  my  State,  and  in  that  body.  Now,  that  I  am 
speaking  with  such  frankness,  I  may  as  well  add  that  I 


176  SENATOR    STANLEY'S    STORY. 

owed  my  election  to  the  United  States  Senate  to  the 
powerful  influences  of  the  corporations  which  have,  for 
years,  controlled  the  political  affairs  of  my  State. 

When  I  arose  to  speak,  a  little,  blonde  page  darted 
from  in  front  of  the  presiding  officer's  chair  with  a 
glass  of  water.  I  am  a  very  deliberate  speaker,  and 
not  at  all  inclined  to  be  eloquent.  I  belonged  to 
the  class  of  modern  statesmen  who  believe  that  facts 
cannot  be  stated  too  clearly  and  too  simply.  They 
discard  adjectives,  impassioned  phrases,  and  studiously 
adopt  the  conversational  tone  in  presenting  arguments. 
I  was  never  more  deliberate  than  I  was  on  this  day. 
It  was  warm,  and,  before  speaking,  I  raised  the  glass 
of  water  to  my  lips.  As  I  did  so,  I  involuntarily 
glanced  to  the  private  gallery,  where  visitors  of  promi- 
nence or  fashionable  ladies  are  to  be  found  during 
debates.  It  is  natural  for  a  speaker  to  wish  to  know 
whether  he  has  an  audience  or  not.  There  were  not 
over  a  half-dozen  ladies  in  the  gallery.  There  was  a 
white  spot  in  the  farthest  corner,  shadowed  by  the 
heavy  ceiling,  which  attracted  my  notice.  In  an  instant 
I  saw  it  was  the  white  turban  of  the  Hindoo  expert. 
There  were,  perhaps,  twenty-five  or  thirty  senators  in 
their  seats.  The  debate  on  the  bill  had  been  led  by 
two  or  three  senators  who  had  not  presented  very 
strong  arguments.  There  was  a  trifle  more  than 
ordinary  interest  in  what  I  was  going  to  say,  because, 
even  now,  I  have  left  some  remnant  of  pride  concern- 
ing my  former  manner  of  discussing  public  questions. 

I  began,  "  Mr.  President."  These  were  the  last  words 
of  any  public  address  ever  made  by  me.     There  was  a 


SENATOR    STANLEYS   STORY.  \" 

jar  in  my  bod)',  as  if  from  some  shock  to  its  internal 
mechanism,  and  then  I  was  conscious  of  passing  directly 
out  of  my  bod}',  and  had  the  extraordinarily  odd  sen- 
sation of  seeing  this  self-same  body  standing  there,  full 
of  life,  occupied  by  some  one  else.  The  experience  is 
not  a  common  one.  I  need  not  add  that  it  was  any- 
thing" but  a  pleasing  one.  Here  I  was,  changed,  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye,  from  a  positive  entity  to  an  abso- 
lute nonentity.  My  first  impression  was  one  of  out- 
rage. I  turned  and  shouted  at  the  expert.  I  roared 
at  him,  shrieking  with  rage  ;  but,  apparently,  no  sound 
of  my  voice  stirred  the  quiet  tranquility  of  the  Senate. 
No  one  had  observed  the  transformation. 

After  the  first  moment  of  shock,  succeeded  an  angry 
curiosity  to  know  the  result.  I  seated  myself,  deliber- 
ately, in  a  vacant  chair,  near  my  old  place,  and 
watched  my  material  body  go  through  the  form  of 
making  a  speech.  I  was  strangely  critical.  At  last, 
the  power  had  been  given  me  to  see  myself  as  others 
saw  me.  I  observed,  with  regret,  that  I  had  been  care- 
less in  my  shaving  that  morning.  My  hair  needed 
trimming,  and  my  coat  had  not  been  properly  brushed. 
These  superficial  facts  made  the  same  impression  upon 
me  that  would  be  made  by  one  looking  into  a  mirror, 
and  were  the  evidences  that  I  must  have  been  more 
than  ordinarily  disturbed  during  the  morning.  My 
interest  was  not,  at  first,  very  great.  My  substitute 
did  not  depart  from  my  usual  manner  for  a  few 
moments,  but  there  was  an  unusual  undertone  of 
earnestness  in  his  thoughts,  and  every  now  and  then  I 
saw  a  flash  of  fire  in  his  eyes.     This  was  a  grave  infrac- 


d*>* 


HE    WAS    CONTENTING    HIMSELF    "WITH    A    CLEAR    AND    ANALYTICAL    EXAMINATION 
OF  THE  LAW  IN  QUESTION."     Page    179. 


SENATOR    STANLEY'S    STORY.  1 79 

tion  of  senatorial  etiquette,  and  so  I  watched,  carefully, 
my  successor  to  see  whether  these  new  features  were 
attracting  attention.  He  had  not,  as  yet,  expressed  any 
view  concerning  the  measure.  He  was  contenting 
himself  with  a  clear  and  analytical  examination  of  the 
law  in  question.  I  must  say  he  did  this  very  well ;  but, 
in  a  moment,  he  turned  to  the  Senate,  and  began  to 
express  sentiments  so  foreign  to  my  own  beliefs  that  a 
positive  sensation  was  created.  He  became  strangely 
eloquent.  His  voice  was  musical  and  persuasive.  This 
speech  rapidly  filled  the  galleries.  News  of  anything 
unusual  flies  upon  mysterious  wings  at  Washington. 
Whenever  the  unusual  happens  it  does  not  take  many 
seconds  to  produce  an  audience.  After  the  Senate 
galleries  were  filled,  the  Senate  itself  became  crowded. 
Word  was  sent  over  to  the  House,  and  members  came 
crowding  in  from  every  direction.  I  must  confess  that 
I  was  so  filled  up  with  pride  at  the  sight  of  this  vast 
audience  gathering  to  listen  to  what,  in  all  appearances, 
was  the  amiable  gentleman  who  had  so  many  years  oc- 
cupied my  seat  in  the  Senate,  that  I  did  not  pay  much 
attention  to  the  thread  of  his  discourse.  But  the 
senator — let  me  call  him,  because  to  me  he  was  the 
senator  of  all — was  now  speaking  with  a  fire  and  a 
fury  which  absolutely  thrilled  his  audience,  so  that  they 
swayed  up  and  down  the  gamut  of  passion  and  feeling, 
like  waves  on  a  sea  before  a  mighty  wind. 

At  first,  there  was  a  look  of  surprise  on  the  faces  of 
the  senators ;  then  there  was  a  shock  at  this  breaking 
away  from  traditions,  and  this  daring  to  be  eloquent, 
at  this  arrogant  presumption  of  attempting  to  stir  up 


ISO  SENATOR    STANLEY'S    STORY. 

the  emotions  of  men  hardened  to  every  trick  and  ap- 
peal of  ordinary  eloquence  or  phrase-making.  Then 
this  feeling  was  succeeded  by  one  of  indignation.  I 
began,  myself,  to  listen,  and  if  it  can  be  said  that  the 
hair  of  a  nonentity  can  rise,  then  my  hair  rose  with 
horror.  The  senator  who  had  the  floor  was  making  a 
picturesque,  powerful  appeal  for  the  consideration 
of  the  rights  of  the  people.  Think  of  that,  and 
in  the  Senate  chamber  !  It  was  clear  that  every  one 
about  was  under  the  impression  that  I  had  either 
gone  mad  or  that  I  had  suddenly  developed  an  ab- 
normal ambition  to  become  a  popular  candidate  for 
President  of  the  United  States.  He  used  such  plain 
language,  and  he  had  such  a  way  of  driving  home  old- 
fashioned  truths,  that  no  one  thought  of  interrupting 
him.  He  said  that  the  senators  of  the  United  States 
were  simply  servants  of  the  people,  and  that  it  was 
time  that  they  were  reminded  of  that  fact.  The  cor- 
porations of  the  country  were  loaded  with  gifts  from 
the  people.  Was  the  generosity  and  was  the  care 
always  to  be  given  to  these  great  vested  interests? 
Was  there  ever  to  be  legislation  in  the  interests  of 
humanity,  in  the  interests  of  the  sin  and  suffering  that 
filled  the  world  ?  Was  this  measure,  which  was,  at 
best,  but  a  feeble  step  in  the  direction  of  restoring  the 
rights  of  the  people  to  their  own,  to  be  choked  and 
throttled  by  arguments,  stale  and  shop-worn,  from  the 
bureaus  of  the  great  corporations  which  furnished 
them  ? 

I  do  not  propose   to   make  a  report  of  this   speech. 
It   is   enough  to  say  that   it  overturned  every  tradition 


SENATOR  STANLEY'S   STORY.  I  Si 

of  the  Senate  ;  defied  every  belief  before  expressed  by 
me  ;  contradicted  every  one  of  my  previous  utterances 
upon  public  questions;  and,  in  the  end,  closed  with  a 
peroration  picturing  the  duties  and  aspirations  of  a 
man  properly  educated  to  honestly  serve  the  public. 
These  words  were  uttered  with  such  deep  conviction 
that  a  corresponding  wave  of  emotion  thrilled  through 
and  through  the  great  audience. 


182 


CHAPTER   V. 

THE   WORK   OF   A   SUBSTITUTE   IN   THE   BODY   OF 
SENATOR   STANLEY. 

From  this  day,  my  substitute  was  very  active  in  all 
debates,  and  was  easily  the  foremost  figure  in  the  dis- 
cussions of  the  day.  Naturally,  he  was  the  constant 
subject  of  attack.  My  old  friends  in  the  Senate  looked 
at  him  first  with  wonder,  then  distrust,  and  then  dis- 
like. It  was  inconceivable  to  them  that  he  was  acting 
from  disinterested  motives ;  some  held  that  he  had 
gone  out  of  his  mind.  I  was  in  constant  communica- 
tion with  him,  although  powerless  to  control  him  in 
any  way.  It  was  a  long  time  before  he  would  promise 
that  I  should  occupy  my  old  place  again  ;  and,  then, 
only  upon  the  condition  that  I  would  carry  out  the 
work  he  had  begun.  For  months,  I  was  in  a  dull  state 
of  rage  at  my  powerlessness.  He  was  using  my  brain, 
my  place,  my  former  opportunity,  to  advocate  theories 
of  an  absolutely  impossible  kind. 

One  day,  when  the  appropriation  bill  for  the  sup- 
port of  the  agricultural  department  was  pending  before 
the  Senate,  he  arose,  and  said  that  he  saw  no  objection 
to  appropriating  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  for 
the  study  of  agricultural  subjects,  for  the  payment  of 
distinguished  scientists  to  devote  their  time  to  a  skill- 
ful warfare   against  the   noxious  enemies  of  valuable 


SENATOR   STANLEY'S    STORY.  1 83 

vegetable  growths,  nor  for  the  experimenting  with  new 
plants  for  the  extension  of  the  food-products  of  the 
farm.  Wise  were  the  provisions  for  the  stamping  out 
of  the  diseases  of  cattle  and  hogs.  Cheerfully  should 
be  paid  all  sums  necessary  for  the  extension  of  our 
food  supplies.  When  the  Fish  Commission  comes  to 
the  Senate  and  asks  for  large  sums  of  money  for  deep- 
sea  studies,  for  the  propagation  of  food-fishes  in  barren 
waters,  what  sensible  man  thinks  of  objecting  ?  Govern- 
ment aid  to  such  subjects  is  wise,  because  more  secure 
than  could  be  the  support  of  private  enterprise. 

Thus  far,  in  his  discourse,  my  senator  attracted  no 
particular  attention.  The  advocacy  of  large  appropria- 
tions for  almost  any  purpose  of  a  routine  character  for 
which  there  are  well-known  precedents,  is  always  re- 
ceived in  the  Senate  with  the  sleepy  approval  of  the 
lullaby  song  in  the  nursery.  Suddenly,  my  represent- 
ative changed  his  note  of  polite  comment,  and  said, 
in  sharp,  trenchant  tones,  that  waked  every  one  :  "  If 
you  are  ready  to  spend  the  money  of  the  people  so 
freely  in  the  directions  already  indicated,  why  would 
you  not  be  willing  to  appropriate  sums  infinitely  larger 
for  the  study  of  the  means  to  prevent  the  ills  and 
diseases  of  mankind  ?  By  ills,  I  mean  everything  re- 
lating to  one's  social  condition.  You  have,  now, 
bureaus,  under  the  direction  of  wise  and  sagacious  ex- 
perts, dexterous  in  the  arts  of  stamping  out  the  mis- 
fortunes and  diseases  of  the  vegetable  and  lower 
animal  world.  Why  not,  now,  ascend  the  plane  and 
take  up  the  subject  of  man  ?  " 

I  shall  not  follow  the  speaker  too  closely.      His  plan 


1 84  SENATOR   STANLEY'S   STORY. 

for  the  establishment  of  Government  training-schools 
in  every  crowded  district,  for  the  care  of  children,  for 
the  enforced  development  of  their  physical  condition, 
and  for  their  being  fed  by  the  Government  when 
necessary,  he  said,  did  not  savor  of  charity,  which 
might  encourage  pauperism.  It  was  the  duty  of  the 
Government  to  see  that  every  child  in  the  country 
should  have  an  opportunity  to  acquire  the  full  maxi- 
mum of  robust  manhood  that  nature  intended  for  him, 
with  an  education  and  a  training  which  would  make  him 
self-supporting  as  an  adult.  "  The  hopelessly  depraved, 
if  there  are  any  such,"  said  he,  "  should  be  isolated 
and  placed  within  the  lines  of  a  social  quarantine  to  be 
crossed  only  when  morally  healed.  You  will  never 
stamp  out  poverty  and  crime  in  the  country  without 
beginning  with  the  children.  There  are  thousands  of 
children  now  growing  up  in  the  crowded  cities  who  are 
steeped  in  a  daily  atmosphere  of  vice  and  sodden 
misery  that  would  degrade,  pollute  and  destroy  any 
character,  however  nobly  gifted,  at  the  start,  by  nature. 
We  have  progressed  to  the  point  where  we  quarantine 
known  contagious  diseases.  Years  ago,  when  the 
'  black  death  '  appeared,  or  when  the  Asiatic  '  pest ' 
swept  over  the  earth,  thousands  upon  thousands  died 
without  a  struggle.  Now,  the  public  good,  which  is 
the  sole  excuse  for  all  laws,  justifies  the  seizure  of 
property,  the  arrest  of  individuals,  and  even  lives  are 
ruthlessly  taken  in  the  maintenance  of  a  quarantine. 
If  all  this  can  be  done  to  keep  out  a  fever,  what  might 
not  be  ventured  in  the  interests  of  our  moral  and  physi- 
cal welfare, continually  threatened  from  all  directions?" 


SENATOR    STANLEY'S    STORY.  185 

Must  I  go  on  ?  My  senator  could  not  be  restrained. 
He  continued  :  "  We  have,  every  year,  questions  involv- 
ing the  right  of  quarantine.  The  powers  of  the  Govern- 
ment have  been  enormously  increased,  so  that  the 
Government  of  the  great  American  Republic  is  as 
autocratic  as  that  of  Russia,  in  the  exercise  of  its  power 
to  protect  the  national  health.  Now,  I  do  not  propose 
any  sweeping  change  to  be  made  at  once,  but  I  would 
like  to  have  incorporated  in  this  measure  an  amend- 
ment for  the  establishment  of  a  commission  of  nine 
members,  to  be  appointed  by  the  President,  to  take  up 
the  question  of  how  best  to  protect  the  weaker  mem- 
bers of  society.  You  have,  among  the  people,  a  deep- 
seated  discontent  that  grows  year  by  year.  The  reason 
for  this  is  that  we  permit  the  production  under  such 
unfavorable  conditions  of  a  continually  increasing 
population,  which  is  always  a  menace  and  a  detriment 
to  a  country  through  its  lack  of  early  moral,  intel- 
lectual, and,  most  important  of  all,  physical  training. 
The  huge  sums  paid  cheerfully  for  the  pensions  of  the 
war,  the  burden  of  which  is  felt  by  but  few,  would  give 
more  than  enough  to  take  out  of  their  present  vile  and 
unhappy  surroundings  the  children  of  all  the  unfortu- 
nate in  the  country,  and  train  them  up  into  clean  and 
self-supporting  independence.  It  will  not  do  to  say 
that  the  children  of  even  vicious  and  degraded  parents 
have  not,  within  them,  the  bud  of  promise.  Look  at 
the  splendid  work  of  the  New  York  Reform  School, 
and  the  high  average  result  actually  accomplished  there 
in  the  building  up  of  character,  although  its  inmates 
are   never    admitted    to    the    school    until    they    have, 


1 86  SENATOR   STANLEY'S   STORY. 

actually,  broken  some  one  of  the  criminal  laws  of  the 
State." 

Need  I  add  how  severely  was  my  senator  snubbed 
for  his  views  ?  His  amendment  did  not  receive  a  single 
vote  besides  his  own.  Few  condescended  to  answer 
any  of  his  arguments.  From  this  day  on,  he  was  more 
of  a  marked  man  than  before.  The  letters  received  by 
him  were  now  wholly  different  from  those  that  used  to 
come  to  me.  There  were  no  more  communications 
from  the  heads  of  great  corporations  or  leading 
bankers,  but,  instead,  a  perfect  deluge  of  letters  from 
the  under-world  of  society.  My  senator  rarely  slept, 
so  furious  was  his  desire  to  help  others.  My  comfort- 
able fortune  melted  to  the  right  and  the  left  under  his 
benevolent  touch.  The  newspapers  hinted  that  some 
of  my  relatives  were  talking  of  having  a  conservator 
appointed  for  the  protection  of  my  estate  ;  but  these 
reports  were  untrue.  My  boys  were  sturdy  and  self-sup- 
porting, very  loyal  to  their  father.  If  it  pleased  me, 
they  said,  to  blow  in  my  money  on  games  of  benevo- 
lence, it  was  my  affair,  not  theirs. 

Where  was  I  all  this  time,  the  individual  I,  who 
records  this  story  ?  I  was  chained,  as  a  shadow,  to  my 
senatorial  body.  I  could  not  escape  from  it.  I  fol- 
lowed it  where  it  went,  and  learned,  after  a  time,  to 
know  something  of  this  new  world  of  duty  assumed 
by  my  representative,  who,  often,  talked  the  subject 
over  with  me  when  we  were  at  home,  in  my  library. 
He  said,  one  evening  :  "  If  I  could  convince  you  of  the 
correctness  of  my  views,  I  would  give  you  back  your 
body  and  let  you  take  up  my  tasks  while  I  go  on  else- 


SENATOR   STANLEY'S   STORY.  1 87 

where.  You  need  to  learn  a  new  definition  of  honesty. 
How  could  you,  in  the  past,  call  yourself  a  public  man 
when  you  were  never  actuated  by  anything  but  motives 
of  private  interest  ?  Now,  honestly,  have  you  ever  felt 
a  single  heart-throb  of  indignation  over  the  unjust  suf- 
fering there  is  in  this  world  ?" 

"  No." 

"  Have  you  ever  shed  a  tear  of  pity  over  the  wrongs 
of  the  unhappy  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  Then  by  what  right  have  you  dared  to  assume  the 
post  of  the  guardian  of  the  people,  if  you  have  not 
thought,  constantly,  of  the  poorest  and  the  unhappiest  ? 
The  wisdom  of  the  legislative  ages  has  been  concen- 
trated upon  the  building  up  of  guards  about  the 
properties  and  rights  of  the  well-to-do.  It  is  time  for 
an  extension  of  the  field  of  legislative  action." 

"  But  what  can  the  Government  do  ?  It  can't  make 
poor  people  rich  ;  it  can't  give  them  money,  you 
know " 

"If  you  follow,  so-called,  natural  laws  in  the  struggle 
with  small-pox  or  the  cholera,  where  would  you  be  ? 
The  trouble  with  even  the  friends  of  the  people  has 
been  in  the  remedies  sought  to  be  employed  by  them. 
They  have  wanted  to  move  too  rapidly,  and  to  right, 
by  law  and  purse,  immediate  wrongs.  This,  of  course, 
cannot  be  done  in  a  moment.  We  can,  by  Govern- 
ment aid,  help  the  cause  of  physical  training,  and  so 
educate  the  up-growing  that  it  will  not  be  possible  for 
an  ill-formed  or  an  ill-trained  child,  saving  always 
accidents,  to  escape  such  a  system  of  wise  beneficence." 


1 88  SENATOR   STANLEY'S   STORY. 

I  cannot  say  that  the  senator  convinced  me  that  his 
views  represented  anything  practical.  I  believed  that 
if  I  were  permitted  to  once  more  gain  back  my  body 
before  all  my  fortune  was  gone,  that  I  should  sink 
back  into  my  comfort-living  habits.  You  cannot  teach 
old  dogs  new  tricks. 


1 89 


CHAPTER    VI. 

SENATOR    STANLEY   RECOVERS    HIS    BODY,   BUT   UNDER 
CERTAIN    CONDITIONS. 

One  clay  he  gave  me  permission  to  gain  back  my 
body.  He  was  summoned  to  a  high  conference  in 
India.  "  Mind  you,"  said  he,  "  if  you  fail  in  your  duty 
as  an  honest  man  in  serving  the  public,  I  will  come  back 
at  once  and  punish  you." 

"  How  ?  "  I  asked,  for  I  was  curious  to  know  what 
to  expect,  as  I  had  no  hope  of  meeting  his  anticipa 
tions.  I  was  conscious  of  being  several  centuries  be- 
hind him  in  development.  He  looked  at  me  carefully. 
I  was  then  seated  opposite  him  at  the  library-table 
in  my  home.  "  I  think,"  said  he,  "  I  will  give  you  an 
object  lesson  before  I  go."  He  called  my  carriage, 
and  gave  my  coachman  an  order  to  drive  to  the 
National  Zoological  Gardens. 

I  may  add  here  that  I  hate  menageries.  The  smell 
of  wild  animals  in  confinement  makes  my  gorge  rise. 
So  you  can  imagine  the  pleasure  for  me  in  being 
dragged  at  the  heels  of  my  tormentor,  until  we  reached 
a  cage,  in  which  a  large,  disgusting  monkey,  of  the 
mandrill  type,  was  confined.  Attached  to  the  monkey's 
cage  was  a  huge  phonograph.  Outside  the  cage,  and 
near  the  phonograph,  was  a  small,  red-bearded  man, 
dancing    about,   uttering    the   discordant    notes  of    an 


I90  SENATOR  STANLEY S  STORY. 

idiot,  while  frantically  attempting  to  attract  the  atten- 
tion of  the  mandrill. 

Suddenly,  the  occupant  of  the  cage  came  out  of  its 
dull,  apathetic  mood,  advanced  to  the  bars,  and  stretched 
out  a  huge,  long-fingered  paw,  as  he  began  to  utter 
howls  almost  frantic  in  their  misery  and  wailing.  The 
little  man  outside  with  the  phonograph  now  danced 
with  delight.  "  Excellent,"  he  said.  He  then  began 
to  try  and  repeat  the  peculiar  howls  of  the  mandrill. 

"  This  man,"  said  my  companion,  "  is  engaged  in  the 
fascinating  task  of  collecting  and  registering,  with  the 
aid  of  the  phonograph,  the  cries  of  the  monkey  species. 
He  thinks  he  has  classified  these  cries,  and  imagines 
that  he  has  evolved  from  them  a  semblance  of  language. 
But  I  did  not  bring  you  here  to  observe  him.  I  want 
you  to  take  a  good  look  at  the  mandrill  standing  at  the 
bars.     Do  you  notice  anything  peculiar  about  him  ?  " 

"  Nothing,  except  the  fact  that  he  has  a  blue  nose, 
red  stripes  around  his  beastly  face,  and  that  the  hair  is 
well  worn  off  from  his  haunches." 

"  Do  you  notice  anything  peculiar  about  the  expres- 
sion of  his  eyes?  " 

The  mandrill  now  ceased  his  shrieking,  as  if  he  under- 
stood the  silent  question.  He  appeared,  also,  to  have 
the  gift  of  seeing  me,  as  well  as  hearing  the  conversa- 
tion which  passed.  I  answered  :  "  Nothing,  except  an 
expression  of  low  cunning  and  extreme  selfishness." 

My  companion  laughed,  as  the  mandrill  flew  about  in 
a  perfect  fury  of  anger,  shaking  the  bars  of  his  cage, 
and  uttering  cries  of  such  deep  and  piercing  rage  that 
they  nearly  cracked  the  phonograph  cylinder. 


SENATOR    STANLEYS   STORY.  191 

"  Now,"  continued  my  friend,  "  that  mandrill  before 
you  is,  at  present,  occupied  by  the  spirit  of  your  old 
friend,  Senator  Babbington." 

At  this  the  mandrill  bowed  his  head  affirmatively,  as 
I  turned  toward  him. 

"  He  is  a  disembodied  spirit,  in  temporary  confine- 
ment at  the  Zoo  ;  and,  of  course,  sees  you,  and  can 
hear  you.  He  was  one  of  the  richest  senators.  His 
fortune  was  colossal.  He  never  used  one  penny  of  it, 
except  for  his  own  personal  advancement.  With  mil- 
lions in  his  grasp,  he  only  thought  of  heaping  together 
money,  which  neither  he  nor  many  generations  of 
descendants  could  hope  to  use.  He  never  had  a  kind 
or  a  charitable  impulse.  He  ruthlessly  ruined  every 
friend  who  had  ever  trusted  him.  Towards  the  last  of 
his  wretched  life,  he  paid  a  small  insurance  upon  his 
future  happiness  by  giving  money  to  the  church  of 
which  he  was  a  nominal  member.  At  present  he  is 
serving  a  preliminary  term  in  the  body  of  the  mandrill 
to  subdue  his  pride.  He  is  soon  to  be  the  spirit  which 
will  enter  into  a  child  to  be  born  of  the  poorest  and 
most  wretched  and  starving  peasants  in  East  Galicia. 
He  will  have  to  know  centuries  of  poverty  and  suffer- 
ing before  he  will  be  heard  of  again  above  the  surface. 
But  it  was  not  to  speak  of  him  that  I  brought  you  here. 
It  was  to  show  you  your  future  home  for  the  remain- 
ing term  of  your  natural  life,  after  I  leave  you,  if  you 
ever  swerve  from  your  duty  after  I  give  you  back  your 
old  body." 

I  shuddered  at  the  horrible  thought,  and  Babbington 
howled  with  malicious   delight  at   my   perplexity.     It 


I92  SENATOR    STANLEY'S    STORY. 

was  evident  he  did  not  believe  he  would  be  much 
longer  confined  in  the  mandrill's  form.  His  sturdy, 
selfish  spirit  was  eager  for  the  contest  with  the  forces 
of  the  world  again,  even  if  he  should  have  to  begin 
with  a  handicap  of  poverty  and  miserable  conditions. 

The  next  day,  with  the  same  jar  and  sense  of  electric 
shock  with  which  I  left  my  body,  I  resumed  my  old 
form.  I  was  once  more  at  home.  But  how  changed 
was  the  situation.  I  was  now  the  center  of  entirely 
new  interests.  My  mail  was  one  mass  of  begging  ap- 
peals ;  my  money  was  now  going  so  rapidly  that 
I  doubted  if  my  fortune  would  last  out  my  days. 
Even  my  cook  was  ruined,  as  his  abilities  had  been  so 
long  ignored  that  he  had  become  indifferent.  I  did 
not  dare  to  change  one  feature  of  my  rearranged  life. 
At  a  moment's  hesitation,  at  any  call  of  duty  made 
upon  me,  I  instantly  saw  a  vision  of  the  blue-nosed 
mandrill,  and  scented  Babbington's  eager  impatience  to 
have  me  slip,  so  that  he  could  be  moving  on  to  new 
scenes. 

Thank  God,  I  did  not  slip,  however,  for  a  long  time. 
Perhaps,  if  it  had  not  been  for  the  incident  I  am  now 
about  to  relate,  I  might  have  escaped,  for  a  much 
longer  time,  my  ultimate  fate.  In  the  Senate  I  was 
severely  let  alone.  In  my  State,  all  the  corporations 
were  arrayed  against  my  re-election,  as  my  term  was 
now  near  an  end.  The  people,  outside  of  the  poli- 
ticians, were  for  me  with  a  madness  of  enthusiasm 
hard  for  me  to  understand. 

There  was,  during  this  closing  winter  of  my  life,  a 
number  of  senatorial  elections  throughout  the  country. 


SENATOR    STANLEYS   STORY.  193 

In  one  State  there  had  been  an  unusually  bitter  con- 
test against  a  former  friend,  Senator  Elihu  Backus,  a 
member  of  the  opposition.  He  was  re-elected,  but  the 
election  was  followed  by  a  huge  scandal.  The  use  of 
money  had  been  so  open  and  flagrant  in  the  election 
that  the  disappointed  contestants  were  able  to  force  an 
official  investigation  at  Washington.  The  usual  con- 
flicting mass  of  testimony  was  taken  ;  but  such  a  clear 
case  was  finally  established  against  Backus,  that  my 
party  associates,  who  then  had  a  majority  of  one  in  the 
Senate,  decided,  in  secret  caucus,  for  purely  political 
advantage,  to  vote  to  expel  the  offending  Senator. 
While  the  motives  of  my  party  associates  were  partisan, 
there  was  no  question  about  the  justness  of  the  sen- 
tence, and  the  correctness  of  the  action  agreed  upon 
in  the  secret  caucus. 

So  it  was  clear  what  my  vote  must  be.  It  was  not 
often  my  new  sense  of  duty  placed  me  in  accord  with 
my  party  associates.  My  position  was  so  clear  that  no 
one  took  the  trouble  to  ask  me  about  it. 

The  night  before  the  day  when  the  subject  was  to 
be  finally  passed  upon,  the  agents  of  millionaire  Backus 
fairly  stormed  the  houses  of  senators  whom  they 
thought  might  be  influenced.  Pleas,  piteous  and 
sordid,  struggled  for  a  hearing.  Backus  was  old  ;  the 
disgrace  would  kill  him.  His  only  child,  a  beautiful, 
young  and  motherless  woman,  would  be  socially  ostra- 
cized, in  spite  of  her  father's  millions,  if  he  should  be 
expelled.  Huge  sums  were  brandished  as  temptations. 
But  it  was  now  a  party  matter,  and  our  side  was  hope- 
lessly committed.     A  change  of  vote  was  not  possible, 


194  SENATOR    STANLEY'S    STORY. 

without   incurring    greater    disgrace   than    that    which 
threatened  the  guilty  senator. 

No  one  called  upon  me  until  nine  o'clock  that  even- 
ing. I  sat  alone  in  my  library.  I  could  no  longer 
take  my  ease.  I  was  at  work  upon  reports,  answering 
letters  of  appeal,  writing  checks  for  this  and  that,  bit- 
terly toiling  at  my  hateful  task  of  doing  good  to  people 
I  did  not  know,  and  for  whom  I  cared  nothing. 


195 


CHAPTER   VII. 

THE   SENATOR    CONSENTS   TO    SACRIFICE    HIS    FUTURE 
TO   DO   AN   UNSELFISH   ACT. 

At  nine  o'clock,  a  young,  manly-looking  man,  about 
twenty-five  years  of  age,  stained  with  travel  and  care- 
less of  attire,  entered  the  room,  unannounced.  I  took 
a  second  look  at  him  before  I  recognized  my  favorite 
son,  if  it  can  be  said  that  I  had  a  favorite.  I  loved 
both  my  boys,  God  bless  them !  but  the  younger 
always  seemed  nearer  to  my  heart.  He  had  a  trick  of 
the  eyes  and  a  slight  tossing  of  the  head,  when  in 
earnest,  that  always  reminded  me  of  his  mother.  He 
was  now  the  assistant  manager  of  a  great  western  rail- 
road, and  so  closely  occupied  with  his  duties  that  I 
knew  his  unheralded  presence  in  Washington,  and  the 
hurry  of  his  visit,  meant  something  unusual. 

I  folded  Dick  in  my  arms  and  kissed  him.  He  re- 
turned the  kiss  with  the  same  loyal  affection  of  his 
boyhood. 

Standing  on  the  rug,  in  front  of  the  open  fire,  with 
one  hand  clasped  in  mine,  with  the  other  on  my 
shoulder,  as  he  looked  up  into  my  face,  he  said  : 

"  Father,  I  have  a  request  to  make  of  you." 

"  What  is  it  ?  " 

"  I  want  you  to  vote  for  Senator  Backus,  and  save 
him." 


I96  SENATOR   STANLEY'S   STORY. 

I  was  astonished  ;  but  I  kept  silence,  as  I  thought 
of  what  such  a  vote  would  mean  for  me.  First,  I 
would  lose  all  my  popular  support  at  home,  without 
gaining  any  support  from  my  former  friends,  the  cor- 
porations. Thus  I  must  lose,  first,  my  election  ;  second, 
my  reputation  for  honesty,  because  eleventh-hour 
changes  of  opinions,  where  millionaire  interests  are  at 
stake,  are  damning ;  and,  lastly,  there  was  the  blue- 
nosed  mandrill  to  be  thought  of. 

Alarmed  at  my  long  silence,  my  son  burst  forth  into 
eloquent  pleadings. 

"  Do  you  know,"  said  he,  "that  I  am  engaged  to  be 
married  to  Jane  Backus  ?  We  have  been  long  in  love 
with  each  other,  as  you  must  have  known,  if  you  had 
ever  given  the  subject  attention.  But  Mr.  Backus 
never  encouraged  me  ;  nothing  under  a  foreign  prince 
could  match  his  millions,  he  said,  and  no  engagement 
was  permitted.  All  this  you  might  have  known  ;  but  I 
found  you,  during  the  last  year,  so  devoted  to  a  new 
life,  so  different  from  your  past,  that  I  did  not  like  to 
come  to  you." 

"But,"  he  added,  loyally,  "  do  not  think,  father,  I 
am  criticising  you.  Only,  I  did  not  understand,  and 
you  had  so  much  to  bear,  in  the  way  of  unfriendliness, 
that  I  had  not  the  heart  to  tell  you  that  Senator  Backus 
laid  the  chief  burden  of  his  opposition  to  me  upon  you 
and  your  devotion  of  a  once  great  fortune  to  chimerical 
ideas.  '  He  will  leave  his  sons  beggars,' said  he, 'and 
my  daughter  shall  never  marry  a  beggar.'  But  all  this 
is  changed  now.  Three  days  ago,  I  was  telegraphed 
for  by  Jane  Backus.     I  arrived  here  this  evening,  and 


SENATOR   STANLEY'S   STORY.  I97 

Senator  Backus  has  agreed  to  our  engagement — upon 
one  condition." 

"  I  know  what  that  is — I  am  to  give  him  my  vote. 
Do  you  know  what  that  may  mean  to  me  ?  " 

"  Father,  I  think  I  know  that  you  will  have  a  bad 
quarter  of  an  hour;  but  you  have  so  often,  lately, 
acted  outside  of  your  party,  and  have  established  such 
a  high  reputation  for  unselfishness  and  honesty,  that 
you  will  be  pardoned  more  easily  than  any  other  man. 
Then,  father,  you  know  very  well  that  Mr.  Backus  has 
done  no  more  than  the  average  senator  has  done,  or 
would  do,  in  a  close  fight.  You  know,  father,  in  our 
last  election,  you  sent  me  down  with  a  check  for  five 
thousand  dollars,  to  be  given  to  Mr.  Somers,  your 
agent,  who  telegraphed  for  help  early  in  the  morning. 
What  was  that  check  for,  father?" 

Decidedly,  the  young  man  was  not  fortunate  in  his 
arguments.  It  does  not  make  us  any  more  charitable 
for  the  sins  of  others  to  be  reminded  of  our  own.  My 
heart  hardened.  Besides,  I  did  not  like  old  Backus 
very  well.  Let  my  boy,  Dick,  look  out  for  some  other 
girl.  He  was  good-looking  enough  to  get  as  good  a 
girl  as  Jane  Backus,  and  he  would  never  need  her 
money.  Besides,  myr  determination  was  hastened 
slightly  by  a  seeming  shadow  in  the  mirror.  I  fancied 
I  saw  the  blue  nose  of  my  friend,  Babbington,  and 
caught  the  eager  glint  of  his  eyes,  gleaming  with  the 
hope  of  an  escape. 

My  son  saw  my  refusal  in  my  face,  but  he  did  not 
give  up.  He  left  the  room,  without  waiting  for  my 
final  word,  but  returned  quickly  with  Jane  Backus,  who 


I98  SENATOR   STANLEY'S   STORY. 

had  been  waiting  in  the  room  below.  They  stood 
before  me.  They  attempted  no  theatrical  pleading. 
They  stood  there  with  hands  locked,  looking  at  me  in 
their  pride  and  youthful  passions,  asking,  like  children, 
to  have  their  own  way,  not  dreaming  or  caring  for  the 
cost  of  the  answer,  so  long  as  it  was  "  yes." 

Heavens,  what  a  picture!  He,  tall,  manly,  dark, 
olive-tinted,  his  black,  crisp  mustache  shading  his 
mouth,  his  lips  parting  in  eager  anticipation ;  she,  a 
foil  to  his  darkness — a  clear,  wholesome  blonde,  show- 
ing, in  every  line  of  her  figure,  manner  and  dress,  the 
result  of  careful  training,  of  money  lavishly  spent  by 
cunning  and  skillful  hands  to  produce  that  rare  product 
of  modern  society,  a  lady.  Both  stood  as  if  a  sentence 
of  life  or  death  was  about  to  be  passed.  The  love  that 
radiated  from  the  splendid,  speaking  eyes  of  Jane 
Backus  for  my  gallant  boy  touched  me  more  than  her 
few  low-voiced  words  for  her  father. 

How  do  unworthy  fathers  come  to  have  such  chil- 
dren ?  Can  I  refuse  my  boy  even  temporary  happi- 
ness ?  Can  I  shatter  his  loyal  affection  by  refusing  to 
grant  his  wish  ?  Surely,  a  parent's  love  for  a  child  is 
something  more  than  an  extension  of  individual  ego- 
tism. As  the  boy  looked  at  my  hardened  and  silent 
face,  his  head  gave  that  toss  of  confidence  and  trust 
which  his  mother  used  to  give  when  she  wished  to  ex- 
press unusual  faith  in  me.  It  was  clear  that  I  was,  of 
my  own  free  will,  to  do  something  unselfish  at  last. 
As  I  resolved  to  sacrifice  my  life  in  response  to  the 
frank  confidence  of  my  boy,  Dick,  there  came  straight 
to  me  a  message  from  my  absent  friend  in  India : 


200  SENATOR   STANLEY  S   STORY. 

"Remember!  If  you  fail  in  your  public  duty,  you 
may  know  what  to  expect !  " 

Expect !  I  could  even  now  hear  the  shriek  of  the 
mandrill. 

"  Dick,  my  boy,"  I  exclaimed,  with  all  the  impetu- 
osity of  my  early  days,  "  if  your  happiness  depends  on 
me,  count  on  it,  without  fail.  I  consent  to  what  you 
have  asked  me." 


201 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE     FINAL     FATE     OF    THE     SENATOR. 

I  have  been  told  by  philosophers  that  every  one  has, 
at  some  period  in  his  life,  one  whole  moment  of  perfect 
happiness,  to  compensate  him  for  the  general  misery 
of  existence.  Well,  when  I  saw  those  two  young 
people  fairly  mad  with  happiness,  I  had  my  moment. 
Never  mind  the  price.  I  would  not  go  back  upon  my 
decision,  if  I  could.  My  only  fear,  at  first,  was  that  I 
would  not  be  allowed  to  play  my  part  to  the  end,  and 
that  my  high-minded  substitute  might  come  back,  and 
make  me  false  to  my  promise.  But,  when  I  had  made 
the  decision,  another  message  came  : 

"  No  ;  you  shall  not  be  disturbed.  I  showed  you  the 
way  of  duty  in  your  relations  to  the  public.  After 
that,  with  your  eyes  open,  if  you  choose  to  let  private 
interest  again  influence  you — and  love  of  a  son  may 
become  as  improper  an  influence  as  any  other  private 
interest — then  upon  you  must  rest  the  consequence." 

All  right.  I  accept.  I've  closed  the  doors  of  the 
library,  and  shall  spend  the  night  in  writing.  I  know 
I  shall  be  permitted  to  finish  my  programme.  I  know 
that,  after  the  vote  of  to-morrow,  to  the  world  I  shall 
be  dead. 

I  hasten  to  complete  this  narrative,  so  that  there  will 
be   left   some    reasonable    explanation   of    the    closing 


202  SENATOR   STANLEY'S   STORY. 

year  of  my  life  :  that,  while  I  played  the  part  of  the 
philanthropist,  I  despised  those  whom  I  was  forced  to 
benefit,  and,  to  the  last,  I  maintained,  in  spite  of  my 
attitude  in  the  Senate,  my  sturdy  contempt  for  the 
public  or  its  wishes. 

Those  who  may  have  an  interest  in  my  unfortunate 
career  will  avoid  my  grave,  but  will  rather  come  to 
shed  the  pious  tear  of  regret  at  cage  No.  5,  in  the  sec- 
tion assigned  the  monkeys  at  the  Zoo.  You  will  rec- 
ognize me  by  my  blue  nose,  my  red-striped  face,  and 
the  general  worn-out  appearance  of  my  hairy  garments. 

The  above  narrative  was  found  among  the  private 
papers  of  the  late  Senator  Stanley.  Two  newspaper 
dispatches,  sent  out  to  the  Associated  Press  upon  the 
day  of  his  death,  are  of  interest  in  connection  with  this 
story. 

First : 

"  WASHINGTON,  January  — .  The  famous  Senator 
Stanley  died  suddenly  this  evening.  He  was  quite 
alone  at  the  time  of  his  death.  He  had  taken  a  part 
in  the  Senate  debates,  and  had  made  a  great  sensation 
by  voting  with  the  opposition  against  the  expulsion  of 
Senator  Backus.  His  vote,  alone,  saved  the  latter. 
Senator  Stanley  was  made  the  subject  of  great  recrimi- 
nation, and  was  cut  dead  by  every  one  of  his  associates. 
His  sudden  death,  which  took  place  in  his  library,  at 
home,  was  attributed  to  heart  failure.  The  scenes  of 
the  day,  undoubtedly,  hastened  his  end." 

Here  followed  nearly  a  page  of  the  great  man's 
career,  which  it  is  not  necessary  to  give. 


SENATOR   STANLEY'S   STORY.  203 

The  second  dispatch  to  the  Associated  Press,  in 
another  part  of  the  paper,  was  as  follows  : 

"  WASHINGTON,  January  — .  Murphy,  the  mandrill 
kept  in  cage  No.  5  at  the  National  Zoo,  died  suddenly 
this  evening.  It  is  feared  that  the  mandrill  has  been 
driven  to  suicide,  as  the  monkey  was  found  with  his 
skull  crushed,  evidently  from  a  self-inflicted  blow." 

So,  perhaps,  the  Senator,  in  spite  of  his  forebodings, 
was  forgiven.  In  spite  of  his  disobedience,  he  was 
spared  the  torture  of  Murphy,  the  mandrill.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  he  was,  in  the  end,  forgiven  for  all  his  other 
failures. 


THE   END 


Napoleon    Wolff 


AND 


His    Newspaper    of    the    Future 


By    T.     C.     CRAWFORD 


Copyright,    1894,    by 
AUGUSTA    W.     FLETCHER,     M.    D. 

All    Rights    Reserved, 


2QJ 


CHAPTER    I. 

In  1876,  Washington  was  the  center  of  great  political 
excitement.  The  winter  of  that  year,  1876-77,  was  a 
very  stormy  one.  The  disputed  electoral  count,  and 
its  attendant  scenes,  made  up  a  picture  of  passionate 
partisan  disturbance,  unsurpassed  by  any  period  fol- 
lowing the  war  of  the  late  rebellion.  If  the  sturdy 
common  sense  of  the  American  people  had  not  pre- 
dominated, the  government  would  have  been  over- 
thrown, and  this  country  Mexicanized.  Washington, 
at  that  time,  was  thronged  with  the  individual  captains 
of  special  crusades.  No  city  in  the  world  is  so  noted 
for  its  peculiar  characters.  Cranks  of  all  classes  seek 
the  capitol  as  the  best  theatre  for  the  production  of 
their  peculiar  roles.  I  know  of  no  odder  character 
who  was  prominent  in  that  period  than  Napoleon 
Wolff. 

He  came  to  Washington  early  in  the  days  of  the 
excitement,  and  used  to  appear  in  the  offices  of  the 
Washington  correspondents  with  great  regularity  and 
persistence.  His  peculiar  appearance  might  have  made 
him  the  object  of  ridicule,  had  not  the  grim  ferocity 
and  energy  of  character  made  those  who  came  in 
contact  with  him  hesitate  before  presuming  to  trifle 
with  a  man  who  took  himself  so  seriously.     It  was  the 


208  NAPOLEON   WOLFF. 

claim  of  Napoleon  Wolff  that  he  was  a  reformer  very 
much  in  advance  of  his  time.  The  world  was  all 
wrong,  from  beginning  to  end  ;  every  form  of  govern- 
ment was  a  rotten  nuisance,  which  should  be  abolished. 
According  to  Mr.  Wolff,  there  were  very  few  honest 
people  in  the  world.  I  think  I  gathered  from  him,  at 
the  period  of  his  daily  calls  in  my  office  of  newspaper 
correspondence,  that  there  was,  at  that  time,  but  one 
honest  man  in  Washington,  and  he  allowed  it  to  be 
more  than  suspected  that  the  name  of  that  man  was 
Wolff.  The  ostensible  object  of  his  first  visit  was  for 
the  purpose  of  offering  articles  for  publication.  These 
articles  were  fearful  denunciations  of  the  dishonesty  of 
officials,  with  suggestions  that  the  Government  should 
be  pulled  down  and  renovated  under  the  direction  and 
leadership  of  the  writer.  He  had  seized  upon  this 
troublesome  time  as  the  proper  one  for  the  presentation 
of  his  views  to  the  American  public.  He  cared  little 
for  the  merits  of  the  dispute  then  existing  between  the 
Democrats  and  the  Republicans.  He  said  there  had 
been  so  much  villainy  perpetrated  on  both  sides  during 
that  election,  that  it  was  beneath  the  consideration  of 
an  honest  man  to  attempt  to  pass  upon  the  question 
of  which  set  of  knaves  was  entitled  to  office.  If 
Mr.  Wolff  had  possessed  the  slightest  trace  of  humor, 
his  conversation  would  soon  have  made  him  a  nuisance, 
but  the  solemnity  and  savage  energy  of  the  man,  com- 
bined with  a  certain  intellectual  ferocity,  conspired  to 
make  him  an  interesting  character  study.  He  had 
much  more  than  ordinary  ability.  His  articles  were 
well  written,  in  spite  of   their  peppery  character,  and 


NAPOLEON    WOLFF.  20O, 

very  often  what  he  said  had  much  truth  upon  its  side  ; 
yet  his  deductions  were  so  sweeping,  and  his  judgments 
so  relentless,  that  I  knew  of  no  publication  of  that 
time  that  would  have  ventured  to  print  the  mildest  of 
the  concoctions  of  Napoleon  Wolff. 

His  personal  appearance  was  as  peculiar  as  his 
mental  make-up.  He  was  spare,  and  of  medium 
height.  He  had  the  tireless  energy  people  of  unbal- 
anced judgment  nearly  always  possess.  His  face  was 
smooth-shaven,  and  very  sharp  in  its  lines.  His  nose 
was  very  long  and  straight ;  his  mouth  was  a  huge  slit, 
set  in  the  firmest  of  straight  lines.  His  eyes  were 
very  dark,  gleaming  under  pronounced  eyebrows,  and 
encircled  by  black  rings.  The  top  of  his  head  was  as 
smooth  and  as  polished  as  an  ivory  ball,  with  not  the 
semblance  or  trace  of  hair  upon  its  milk-white, 
gleaming  surface,  until  the  extreme  base  at  the  back  of 
the  neck  was  reached.  Here,  attached  to  the  bump, 
which  the  phrenologists  love  to  call  the  bump  of 
amativeness,  hung  two  tiny  reddish-brown  curls,  almost 
infantile  in  their  silkiness  and  dainty  form.  Who 
curled  those  two  tiny  remnants  of  hair  under  the  base 
of  this  gleaming  dome  of  thought,  often  puzzled  the 
people  who  came  in  contact  with  Mr.  Wolff ;  for  it 
cannot  be  said  that  he  had  any  friends,  and  he  despised 
mere  acquaintances.  He  never  spoke  to  any  man 
unless  he  had  something  to  say  to  him,  and  never 
wasted  his  time  in  bows  or  idle  salutations.  These 
curls  were  the  only  sign  of  grace  or  softness  about  this 
angular  man.  He  had  a  voice  sonorous,  deep  and 
harsh.     There  was  not  a  soft  note  in  it.     I  do  not  think 


2IO  NAPOLEON    WOLFF. 

he  could  have  whispered  had  he  tried.  He  was  in 
such  a  constant  state  of  fury  over  some  new  wrong 
that  he  had  discovered,  that  he  was  the  terror  of  every- 
one with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  He  was  passion- 
ately fond  of  attending  public  meetings  where  social 
questions  were  up  for  discussion.  It  was  his  proud 
pleasure  to  arise,  and  tear  to  tatters  any  argument 
advanced  by  any  individual  upon  any  subject  which 
happened  to  be  before  the  meeting.  He  was  never  so 
contented  and  cheerful  as  after  being  knocked  over, 
dragged  out,  and  kicked  down  several  flights  of  stairs 
from  some  public  meeting  which  he  had  nearly  broken 
up  by  his  violent  interruptions.  It  was  then  that  his 
nostrils  were  inflated  with  pride,  as  he  said  :  "  They 
fear  me.  If  such  a  man  as  I  were  allowed  continued  free 
speech,  the  pillars  of  modern  society  would  crumble." 

He  had  reduced  life  to  very  simple  lines.  He  said 
that  the  majority  of  men  wasted  their  entire  time  and 
substance  in  the  mad  chase  for  something  to  eat. 
"  If  eating  could  be  abolished  in  the  world,"  said  he, 
"then  men  would  have  time  for  intellectual  improve- 
ment and  there  would  be  some  chance  for  the  world  to 
rise."  Yet  he  pretended  to  have  no  knowledge  of 
science  and  never  sought  to  immortalize  himself  by  any 
suggestion  beyond  the  fact  that  we  all  ate  too  much, 
and  that  the  only  hope  for  the  future  civilization  of 
man  lay  along  the  lines  of  simple  living. 

It  must  be  acknowledged  that  Mr.  Wolff  had  very 
much  simplified  the  conditions  of  his  own  existence. 
He  rented  a  quiet  room  in  a  stable  of  a  dairy  in  the 
suburbs  of  the  town.      Every  morning  and  every  night 


NAPOLEON    WOLFF.  211 

he  helped  milk  the  cows.  For  this  he  received  his 
compensation — the  rent  of  the  room  and  a  certain 
share  of  the  milk.  In  his  room  he  had  a  little  cook 
stove,  and  there  he  used  to  brew  and  prepare  various 
articles  with  milk  and  oatmeal.  The  dairy  had  a 
hennery  attached,  and  for  occasional  work  in  this  direc- 
tion Mr.  Wolff  received  an  egg  to  vary  the  items  of  his 
daily  bill  of  fare.  At  the  time  he  at  first  visited  me, 
he  claimed  that  he  had  reduced  his  expenses  to  the 
modest  sum  of  one  dollar  a  month.  After  he  had 
made  this  remarkable  statement,  he  added  with  per- 
fectly savage  ferocity  :  "  Yet,  in  spite  of  all  my  care,  my 
energy  and  my  intellectual  ability  in  this  vile  society 
as  constituted  to-day,  I  have  as  much  difficult}'  in  rais- 
ing that  one  dollar  a  month  as  the  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury  had  during  the  war  in  finding  funds  for  the 
enormous  outlays  of  that  time.  Don't  smile,"  he 
added  ;  "  I  am  sure  I  use  up  more  gray  matter  on  that 
subject  than  ever  did  Secretary  Chase." 

It  was  upon  this  occasion  that  I  won  his  heart  by 
buying  of  him  two  articles  moulded  with  the  rigidity 
of  cast-iron,  and  sweeping  and  fierce  in  their  phrase- 
ology. I  paid  this  philosopher  three  dollars  for  them. 
It  was  the  first  large  money  he  had  seen  for  a  long 
time.  "  Now,"  said  he,  "  I  am  a  capitalist  and  for 
three  months  I  am  no  man's  man."  Why  I  bought 
those  articles,  I  do  not  know  to  this  day,  as  Mr.  Wolff 
never  made  any  appeal  to  one's  sympathies,  and  he 
would  have  denounced  me  as  a  vile  hypocrite  had  I 
made  this  purchase  through  any  motives  of  kindness 
towards  a  fellow  man.     Yet,  that  financial  transaction 


212  NAPOLEON    WOLFF. 

established  a  certain  relation  between  us.  While, 
apparently,  one  of  the  most  perfect  materialists  living, 
chopping  logic  with  a  closeness  and  vigor  of  a  man 
correctly  educated,  with  no  mercy  for  any  church,  or 
any  form  of  religion,  he  was  yet  one  of  the  most 
superstitious  persons  I  ever  saw.  His  credulity  was 
confined  entirely  to  subjects  which  generally  provoked 
incredulity,  while  his  incredulity  followed  the  same 
reverse  process. 

When  not  engaged  in  building  up  some  plan  for 
reforming  society,  and  in  changing  over  the  govern- 
ments of  the  earth,  he  occupied  himself  with  the  dark 
mysteries  of  astrology.  He  believed  that  there  was 
no  science  in  the  wcrld  that  could  compare  with  that 
of  astrology.  Spiritualism,  with  all  its  possibilities, 
had  once  captured  him,  and  held  him  enthralled  ;  but 
now  that  his  mind  had  matured,  astrology  contained 
all  that  was  necessary  to  satisfy  the  mystic  element  in 
his  nature.  He  was  always  casting  horoscopes  of  his 
career,  and  predicting  for  himself  a  future  of  greatness 
and  power.  He  once  said  to  me,  in  a  very  patronizing 
way:  "  If  I  ever  do  arrive  at  that  position,  I  intend  to 
make  society  rock  and  tremble  before  me." 

I  was  curious  at  that  time  to  learn  Mr.  Wolff's  plan 
for  making  society  rock  and  tremble.  I  asked  him  : 
"  Do  you  intend  to  employ  dynamite  or  the  poisoned 
dagger  in  your  attempt  to  weed  out  the  corrupt 
leaders  of  modern  civilization  ?  " 

"  The  only  objection  I  have  to  you,"  he  said,  with  a 
hoarse  roar,  as  he  turned  to  me  and  smote  my  desk 
with  his  mighty  hand,  "  is  your  tendency  to  sneer  at 


NAPOLEON    WOLFF.  213 

the  possibilities  of  a  brilliant  future  for  a  man  who  has 
arrived  at  middle  life,  and  who  has  not  yet  reached 
the  sure  income  of  twelve  dollars  a  year.  I  must 
confess  that,  from  your  point  of  view,  you  are,  perhaps, 
justified  ;  but,  at  the  same  time,  if  you  had  any  real 
sense,  you  would  see,  in  me,  the  coming  man.  I  am 
simply  passing  through  a  stage  of  development." 

"  But  you  have  not  answered  my  question." 

"  Its  very  form  was  an  insult  and  that's  the  reason  I 
did  not  answer  it.  I  am  too  intellectual  a  man  to  ever 
dream  of  using  dynamite  or  anything  so  coarsely 
brutal  as  that.  I  know  something  more  powerful  than 
dynamite." 

"And  what  is  that?" 

"  Oh,  just  a  daily  newspaper,  that's  all." 

"  But  I  should  think  that,  after  twenty  years  attempt- 
ing to  secure  admission  to  the  columns  of  the  various 
newspapers  of  the  country  without  any  very  marked 
success,  you  would  select  some  other  engine  of  re- 
prisal and  reform." 

"  No,  I  adhere  to  the  daily  newspaper.  I  suppose 
you  will  laugh  when  I  tell  you  that  I  mean  to  own 
one." 

"Well." 

But  before  I  could  say  anything  more,  he  drew  out  a 
sheet  of  paper  and  showed  me  a  horoscope  in  which  he 
calculated  that,  being  born  under  Mars,  he — Napoleon 
Wolff — was  naturally  of  a  combative  disposition  and 
that  he  was  born  for  conquest.  The  unfortunate  con- 
junction of  Mars  with  the  sign  of  Capricornus,  at  an 
early  period    in    his    life,    had    marked  him   for  much 


214  NAPOLEON    WOLFF. 

suffering,  but  a  lateral  sidereal  connection  along  the 
lines  of  Jupiter,  which  was  to  occur  late  in  life,  meant 
for  him  great  wealth  and  great  power. 

I  am  not  exactly  certain  that  I  am  giving  the  true 
and  correct  scientific  summary  of  this  horoscope  ;  but 
the  interesting  point  was  that  Mr.  Wolff,  in  spite  of  his 
many  combats  and  many  defeats,  was  as  confident  of 
his  having  a  great  fortune  through  the  magical  inter- 
vention of  some  happy  circumstance,  wholly  outside  of 
his  control,  before  his  death,  as  if  he  had  the  money 
actually  on  deposit  in  the  bank,  subject  to  his  check. 

"  The  moment  that  fortune  is  in  my  possession,"  said 
he,  "  I  shall  found,  in  the  cities  of  New  York,  London 
and  Paris,  a  great  daily  newspaper  which  shall  be  the 
newspaper  of  the  future.  It  will  contain  more  original 
ideas  than  any  ever  published  ;  it  will  be  more  honestly 
managed  and  will  have  a  larger  staff  of  brilliant  writers 
than  any  daily  newspaper  ever  known  before  in  this 
world." 

"  But,  my  dear  Mr.  Wolff,  you  said  you  were  going 
to  make  your  paper  original." 

"  Yes,  sir  ;    I  did." 

"  But  did  you  not  know  that  there  was  not  a  single 
newspaper  published  to-day  but  claims  to  produce  all 
the  merits  which  you  are  so  confidently  setting  up  as 
the  basis  for  the  reputation  of  what  you  are  pleased  to 
call  the  newspaper  of  the  future  ?  Is  not  each  one 
more  honest,  more  original,  more  brilliant  than  the 
others?  " 

At  this,  my  friend,  Mr.  Wolff,  burst  out  into  violent 
denunciation  of   the  lying  newspapers  and  of   their  dis- 


NAPOLEON   WOLFF.  21  5 

honesty  in  always  siding  with  the  most  corrupt  ele- 
ments in  politics.  "  Let  me  once  arrive  at  my  position 
of  power,"  said  he,  "and  I'll  force  them  to  mount  to 
the  high  standard  of  excellence  which  I  will  set  for 
them." 

Here  he  turned  towards  me  with  great  excitement  as 
he  pointed  to  a  small  black  bag  which  he  always  car- 
ried with  him.  "  Do  you  know,"  said  he,  "  what  is  in 
that  bag?  " 

"  No,  I  am  sure  I  haven't  the  slightest  idea." 

Mr.  Wolff's  face  now  fairly  blazed  with  excitement. 
"  If  I  were  to  open  that  bag,"  said  he,  "  and  let  forth 
its  secrets,  I  do  not  believe  this  Government  would  last 
twenty-four  hours.     What  do  you  say  to  that?  " 

"Well,  if  the  consequences  surely  will  be  as  dis- 
astrous as  that,  I  advise  you  to  keep  them  as  '  scoops  ' 
for  the  newspaper  of  the  future." 

To  this  flippancy  he  made  no  reply.  He  buttoned 
up  his  coat  very  tight ;  slouched  his  black  hat  fiercely 
over  his  eyes ;  walked  out  of  the  room  without  saluta- 
tion, and  I  never  saw  him  again  until  a  little  over  a 
quarter  of  a  century  after,  and  then  his  newspaper  pro- 
ject was  brought  before  me  once  more  under  most 
extraordinary  and  peculiar  circumstances. 


2l6 


CHAPTER    II. 

Three  years  ago,  I  was  in  Berlin.  I  was  there  as  the 
representative  of  a  New  York  banking  house.  The 
occasion  of  my  visit  was  the  placing  of  certain  railroad 
bonds.  While  there,  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  a 
German  officer  of  high  standing,  who  had  been,  for  a 
long  time,  on  the  staff  of  Prince  Bismarck.  This 
German  officer  was  a  nephew  of  the  banker  with 
whom  I  transacted  the  greater  part  of  my  business 
during  my  visit  to  Berlin.  Count  Ernst  was  a  most 
agreeable  companion.  He  had  been  in  America,  and 
was  very  much  interested  in  our  affairs.  He  was  a 
scientist  of  profound  rank,  and,  although  still  in  the 
army  and  attached  to  the  imperial  household,  devoted 
the  greater  part  of  his  leisure  to  study. 

When  I  came  to  return  to  London  he  was,  by  chance, 
my  traveling  companion.  He  was  the  bearer  of 
dispatches  from  the  foreign  office  in  Berlin  to  the 
German  Ambassador  in  London.  We  occupied  the 
same  compartment  in  the  railway  train,  and,  as  I  had 
always  found  him  very  congenial,  we  remained  together 
during  the  journey. 

Count  Ernst  was  a  close  observer,  and,  if  I  may  use 
the  word,  a  most  excellent  reporter.  He  had  the  real 
love   for  news  which  constitutes    a  high-class    gossip. 


NAPOLEON   WOLFF.  217 

He  knew  everything  that  was  going  on  in  the  court 
circles.  His  experiences  were  told  in  very  concise 
language,  while  his  observations  upon  men  and  things 
were  very  shrewd  and  expressed  in  careful  language, 
which  had  running  through  it  a  thread  of  satire,  sug- 
gestive to  a  stranger  of  malice.  No  capital  of  the 
world  has  so  much  gossip  as  Berlin,  and  in  no  city  is 
there  so  much  criticism  of  people  in  high  place.  This 
criticism,  however,  is  only  permitted  by  those  who 
occupy  the  inner  circle.  Let  a  stranger  or  an  outsider 
attempt  to  criticise  those  in  power  in  the  presence  of 
even  the  most  malicious  of  the  court  gossipers,  and  he 
will  only  find  an  indignant  objection  where  he  might 
have  expected  approval. 

Naturally,  the  conversation  in  time  drifted  to  the 
severed  relations  of  Prince  Bismarck  with  William  II. 
This  officer,  who  had  been  very  closely  attached  to 
Prince  Bismarck,  was,  however,  too  much  of  a  courtier 
not  to  know  how  to  save  himself  at  the  time  of  the 
Prince's  downfall.  Of  all  the  interesting  stories  told 
by  him  concerning  his  experiences  with  the  Prince,  I  re- 
call, now,  nothing  more  curious  than  one  which  excited, 
to  the  highest  degree,  his  scientific  curiosity. 

He  premised  his  story  by  saying  :  "I  do  not  ex- 
pect you  to  believe  this  story,  and  I  shall  not  be 
at  all  offended  if  you  disbelieve  it.  I  can  only  say 
this  :  that  Prince  Bismarck  himself  will  vouch  for  the 
correctness  of  the  incident  as  I  shall  relate  it  to  you, 
and  that  three  other  officers  of  the  Prince's  staff  were 
present  and  were  eye-witnesses  of  the  incident  in 
question." 


2l8  NAPOLEON   WOLFF. 

The  story,  as  the  officer  told  it,  was  this  :  "  One 
year  before  Prince  Bismarck's  retirement  he  was  in  his 
ministerial  bureau,  surrounded  by  his  staff  officers, 
receiving  visitors.  It  was  not  a  public  reception,  but 
his  hour  for  receiving  those  who  were  properly  pre- 
sented to  him  or  who  had  business  of  sufficient  import- 
ance to  warrant  their  coming  to  him  without  too  much 
formality.  In  other  words,  it  was  his  hour  of  general 
audience. 

"  Towards  the  close  of  the  hour  the  uniformed  mes- 
senger stationed  in  the  ante-room  came  in  and  saluted, 
and  said  that  a  stranger  desired  to  be  admitted. 

" '  What  is  his  name  ? '  brusquely  demanded  the 
Prince,  '  and  what  is  his  business  ? ' 

"  The  messenger  replied  that  the  stranger  had 
declined  to  give  his  name,  because  it  was  wholly  un- 
known to  the  Prince  and  could,  therefore,  furnish  him 
no  information.  He  had  declined  to  state  what  was 
his  business  to  anyone  except  Prince  Bismarck  himself. 
He  had  added  that  the  affair  which  he  wished  to  call 
to  the  attention  of  the  Prince  was  one  of  the  greatest 
importance  and  of  the  greatest  possible  interest  to  the 
German  Government.  He  came  alone  and  unintro- 
duced  because  he  had  no  friends. 

"  One  of  the  officers  suggested  that  the  man  be  seen 
by  some  one  of  their  number  before  admitting  him. 
Berlin  is  full  of  Socialists,  and  a  mysterious  stranger 
seeking  audience  of  a  high  personage  is  naturally  to  be 
regarded  with  distrust. 

"  The  Prince  said,  with  a  smile,  that  he  thought  that 
he   could    risk   the   admission   of   one   stranger  into   a 


NAPOLEON    WOLFF.  219 

room  filled  with  officers,  and  so  rejected  lightly  the 
suggestion  of  precaution. 

"  The  visitor  was  now  shown  in.  He  seemed  to  be  a 
man  of  the  humble  class,  although  his  face  bore  evi- 
dence of  education  and  refinement.  His  pale,  sallow- 
face  was  set  off  by  long,  dark  hair,  while  a  mustache 
and  short  beard  concealed  the  lower  part  of  a  very 
pale,  resolute-lined  face.  His  dark  eyes  flashed  with 
the  somber  light  of  an  enthusiast.  His  manner,  how- 
ever, was  very  deliberate  and  free  from  all  excitement. 
He  bowed  very  profoundly  when  the  Prince  said  : 

"  '  Well,  sir,  what  is  it  you  want  ?  ' 

"  The  visitor  brought  his  heels  together  with  the 
regulation  military  click,  and  saluted  stiffly  as  he 
said  : 

"  '  Herr  Prince,  I  have  a  secret  which  I  wish  to  sell 
to  the  German  Government.' 

" '  Oh,  oh  !  a  secret  ?  And  what,  pray,  may  be  its 
nature  ? ' 

" '  Sir,'  said  the  man,  '  I  am  an  inventor.' 

"  At  the  sound  of  this  word  the  Prince  frowned,  as 
he  said  with  great  impatience  : 

"  '  Oh,  yes,  yes.  You  have  some  gun  or  some  new 
war  machine,  or  some  new  kind  of  powder  or  explo- 
sive. I  never  bother  myself  with  those  things.  You 
should  go  to  the  War  Office,  and  if  you  have  anything 
of  value,  they  will  tell  you  there  all  about  it.  Good 
morning.' 

"  But  the  inventor  stood  his  ground  and  did  not  ac- 
cept his  dismissal.      He  again  saluted,  as  he  said  : 

"  '  Herr  Prince,  just  one  word.     My  discovery  does 


220  NAPOLEON    WOLFF. 

not  belong  to  the  class  you  have  just  mentioned.  You, 
perhaps,  are  the  only  one  in  Germany  who  could  truly 
and  properly  appreciate  the  importance  of  this  dis- 
covery of  mine,  which  will  revolutionize  the  whole 
world,  and  instantly  change  the  systems  of  power  now 
recognized  by  science  as  practically  final  in  the  range 
of  their  accomplishments.' 

"  Something  in  the  man's  earnestness  and  simplicity 
caught  the  Prince's  attention.  He  had  a  very  keen 
flair  for  a  new  sensation,  and  nothing  attracted  him 
more  than  the  possibility  of  something  new." 

"'Well,  my  good  man,'  said  he,  'what  is  your 
wonderful  secret  ?  ' 

"'Sir  Prince,'  said  he,  'it  can  be  told  in  a  very  few 
words.  I  have  discovered  the  law  which  will  enable 
any  one  to  overcome  the  attraction  of  the  law  of  gravi- 
tation.' 

"  The  Prince  burst  out  into  a  roar  of  contemptuous 
laughter. 

"  '  And  so  that  is  your  discovery,'  said  he. 

"  Before  he  could  add  another  word,  the  man,  fired 
by  the  attitude  of  contempt,  said  with  fiery  earnestness  : 

"  '  I  came  to  you  as  a  patriotic  German  to  offer  this 
discovery  to  my  own  government.  Through  the  knowl- 
edge of  this  secret,  sir,  you  can  instantly  construct 
machines  of  war  which  will  navigate  the  air  and  domi- 
nate the  other  nations  of  the  earth  as  you  will.' 

"  The  Prince  continued  to  laugh  as  if  he  regarded 
him  as  an  amiable  lunatic,  and  then  turned  away  im- 
patiently as  if  life  were  too  short  for  very  much  amuse- 
ment of  this  kind,  but  his  indifference  and  impatience 


NAPOLEON    WOLFF.  22  1 

were  changed  in  a  second  by  the  action  of  his  visitor. 

"  The  latter  ran  to  an  enormous  model  of  a  steel 
Krupp  gun,  which  rested  upon  strong  iron  supports  at 
one  side  of  the  room.  This  model  weighed  nearly  a 
ton.      His  visitor  said,  as  he  reached  the  gun  : 

"  '  I  will  demonstrate  to  you,  Sir  Prince,  with  or  with- 
out your  permission,  the  truth  of  the  declaration  I  have 
made  to  you.  This  discovery  is  so  simple  in  its  char- 
acter that,  at  once,  when  it  becomes  known,  you  will 
wonder  that  it  had  not  become  the  common  property 
of  all,  long  and  long  ago.  It  wras  on  account  of  this 
simplicity  that  I  made  my  demand  for  compensation 
in  advance  of  its  disclosure.  But  I  will  here  give  you 
the  proof.  If  I  cannot  lift  this  cannon  with  my  little 
finger,  then  everything  I  have  said  is  a  lie,  and  all  that 
I  have  claimed  is  worse  than  a  delusion.' 

"  The  extraordinary  attitude  of  the  man  and  the 
character  of  his  claims  chained,  instantly,  the  attention 
of  all.  He  turned  his  back  to  his  audience,  made  some 
sort  of  an  adjustment  under  the  gun,  and,  to  the  con- 
sternation and  surprise  of  everybody,  he  was  seen  to 
lift  the  great  mass  of  steel  as  if  it  were  a  feather.  He 
held  it  aloft,  balanced  for  a  moment  on  the  middle 
finger  of  his  right  hand,  as  he  exclaimed  : 

"  '  Behold  the  proof!  '  and  in  another  second  he  had 
restored  the  gun  to  its  position. 

"  What  happened  after  this  occurred  in  a  briefer 
period  than  the  time  it  requires  to  describe  it.  The 
man  now  turned  to  the  Prince  and  said  : 

"  '  You  have  rejected  me  with  your  eyes  closed.  You 
have  insulted  me  by  doubting  my  words,  without  per- 


222  NAPOLEON    WOLFF. 

mitting  me  to  first  give  you  a  proof.  Now,  I  intend 
to  leave  this  country  and  go  to  America,  where  I  know 
I  will  be  better  received.' 

"  With  this,  he  darted  out  of  the  room.  The  Prince 
was  so  overwhelmed  by  the  demonstration  that,  before 
he  could  regain  his  self-command  to  give  an  order  for 
the  arrest  of  the  man,  to  hold  him  for  examination,  the 
stranger  visitor  had  left  the  building. 

"  The  entire  resources  of  the  Berlin  police  were 
directed  to  find  traces  of  him.  His  name  was  dis- 
covered, but  little  more  than  that.  He  had  lived  for  a 
long  time  alone  in  the  suburbs  of  Berlin,  in  a  little 
park,  isolated  from  neighbors.  His  name  was  Moritz 
Schlager. 

"  He  was  traced  to  Bremen,  where  he  took  passage 
upon  the  ill-fated  ship  'Wien,'  which  went  down  in 
mid-ocean,  leaving  behind  no  trace  and  no  survivors." 

"  But,"  I  asked,  "  do  you  mean  to  tell  me  that  you 
could  find  no  better  ending  for  your  story,  Herr  Count, 
than  to  drown  such  an  inventor  as  that  ?  Such  a  dis- 
covery, made  by  a  man  intelligent  enough  to  reach  the 
result  named  by  you  would  surely  be  guarded  better 
than  that.  He  would  not  leave  all  to  be  staked  upon 
the  chance  of  a  sea  voyage." 

"  There  is  a  rumor  in  Berlin,"  said  my  friend,  "  that 
Herr  Schlager  did  leave  a  sealed  package  in  the  hands 
of  a  distant  relative,  with  instructions  to  have  it  for- 
warded, within  five  years  after  his  death,  should  any 
accident  befall  him,  to  the  head  of  the  American 
Government." 


223 


CHAPTER    III. 

Last  spring  I  was  at  Chubbs'  Hotel  in  London.  I 
had  been  in  London  for  nearly  a  year.  I  had  given 
myself  a  vacation,  and  had,  during  this  vacation-time, 
occupied  myself  with  the  study  of  processes  for  repro- 
ducing illustrations  for  periodical  work. 

One  day,  in  the  office  of  the  Illustrated  News,  its 
editor,  who  was  a  personal  friend,  handed  me  over  a 
series  of  illustrations  from  Australia,  with  a  character 
study  of  a  most  remarkable  man  who  had  made  a  great 
discovery  of  diamonds.  As  this  story  has  since  been 
reproduced  in  all  the  American  newspapers,  it  is  not 
necessary  to  more  than  recapitulate,  briefly,  its  main 
points.    The  editor,  in  handing  me  the  story,  said  : 

"  Perhaps  some  of  your  financial  friends  in  the  city 
will  be  interested  in  the  extraordinary  information  con- 
tained in  this  article." 

This  publication  was  held  back  for  some  time  in  the 
office  of  the  Illustrated  News,  and  it  is  only  quite 
recently  that  its  main  features  have  appeared  in  the 
American  journals.  The  article  related  to  the  most 
extraordinary  discovery  of  diamonds  ever  made  in  the 
history  of  diamond  hunting.  A  certain  prospector,  of 
the  name  of  McGregor,  an  old  man  over  seventy  years 
of  age,  had  taken  up  a  lot  of  vacated  diamond  claims, 


224  NAPOLEON   WOLFF. 

and  by  persistence  and  energy,  had  dug  out  enough  to 
purchase  a  vast  tract  covering  nearly  all  of  the  best 
portions  of  this,  then  comparatively  valueless,  diamond 
field.  This  old  man  was  of  a  rude  and  vigorous 
physical  type,  who  had  a  thorough  knowledge  of  dia- 
mond digging.  He  had  a  theory  that  there  was  a 
large  diamond  reef  to  be  found  by  tunneling  along 
certain  lines  of  the  fields.  He  worked  alone  nearly 
two  years  in  making  these  tunnels.  His  strength 
and  extraordinary  skill  were  shown  in  his  capacity  in 
doing  what  several  men  would  have  regarded  as  diffi- 
cult in  working  together.  At  the  end  of  his  two  years' 
work,  he  uncovered  a  reef  of  diamonds  of  very  pure, 
and  valuable  quality.  It  was  estimated  by  the  most 
conservative  judges  in  the  diamond  fields  that  the  reef 
contained  at  least  a  ton  of  high-class  diamonds.  The 
report  of  this  find  was  sent  on  to  London  and  a  syndi- 
cate was  at  once  formed  to  buy  the  claims.  The 
large  diamond  interests  of  Europe  were  represented  in 
this  syndicate,  as  it  was  held  to  be  of  the  utmost 
importance  to  keep  such  a  deluge  of  diamonds  off  the 
market  and  to  regulate  their  production  and  sale  so  as 
not  to  endanger  existing  values.  In  the  account 
handed  to  me  by  the  Illustrated  News  editor,  it  was 
declared  that  the  syndicate  had  offered  the  lucky 
miner  the  sum  of  two  million  pounds  sterling,  or,  in 
round  numbers,  $10,000,000,  for  his  mine,  and  that  it 
had  been  refused. 

I  was  so  interested  in  the  story,  with  this  strange 
turn  of  fortune  which  lavished  untold  gold  upon  a 
humble  toiler  near  the  end  of  his  career,  that  I  turned 


NAPOLEON    WOLFF.  225 

in  time  to  look  at  the  slight  sketch  of  the  miner  him- 
self. It  appears  that  he  had  come  to  Australia  from 
America,  and  that,  while  he  had  a  Scotch  name,  he  had 
neither  the  accent  nor  the  manner  of  a  Scotchman. 
As  I  read  this  sketch,  the  editor  took  out  of  his  drawer 
several  photographs  and  handed  them  to  me. 

Where  had  I  seen  this  face  before  ?  I  was  at  once 
struck  by  the  fact  that  he  was  a  former  acquaintance. 
In  the  first  photograph,  the  owner  of  the  Monte  Cristo 
mine  had  a  hat  slouched  over  his  eyes.  In  the  second 
photograph,  he  was  hatless.  The  gleaming,  bare  skull 
of  the  miner  restored  at  once  the  chain  of  memory. 
The  quarter  of  a  century  which  had  passed  had  not 
changed  the  lines  of  this  grim  face.  This  was  the  por- 
trait of  my  former  reformer  friend,  Napoleon  Wolff. 
It  was  not  possible  that  there  were  two  such  faces  in 
the  world.  Never  had  I  seen  any  one  so  perfectly  and 
completely  bald  as  Wolff,  and  this  grim,  determined 
old  man  answered  to  every  feature  of  the  photograph 
in  my  memory  of  my  former  Washington  acquaintance. 
To  make  sure,  I  said  : 

"  Have  you  a  picture  of  him  in  profile  ?  " 

"You  may  be  sure  we  have,"  said  the  editor.  "With 
his  money  and  power,  he  will  be  the  professional 
beauty  of  London  for  the  remaining  years  of  his  life." 

He  handed  out  a  profile  view,  and  there,  at  the  base 
of  the  skull,  were  still  the  two  tiny  curls,  as  luxuriant 
and  as  carefully  tended  as  ever,  and  affording  the  same 
absurd  contrast  of  delicacy  and  care  to  the  gleaming, 
smooth  surface  of  this  most  vigorous  and  dogmatic 
old  man. 


226  NAPOLEON  WOLFF. 

There  was  something,  after  all,  in  his  theory.  At 
least,  there  had  been  a  happy  coincidence  that  justified, 
apparently,  all  the  horoscopes  he  had  worked  out  con- 
cerning the  closing  chapter  of  his  life. 

As  I  thought  of  Wolff  and  his  mine  of  diamonds, 
my  memory  ran  back  to  the  time  when  he  had  further 
predicted  that  he  would,  one  day,  found  a  daily  news- 
paper, and  cause  society  to  tremble  before  him.  I 
think  the  thought  of  what  such  a  man  could  do  with 
unlimited  means  amused  me  much  more  than  the 
chapter  of  accidents  which  had  led  his  persistent 
hands  through  weary  tunneling  to  the  locked-up  bank 
of  inexhaustible  treasures. 


527 


CHAPTER    IV. 

The  story  now  moves  up  to  a  very  recent  time.  It 
was  only  a  few  months  ago  that  McGregor,  the  dia- 
mond millionaire,  arrived  in  London.  I  called  upon 
him  at  the  Savoy  Hotel.  I  was  curious  to  see  if  this 
new  hero  was  really  Napoleon  Wolff.  I  found  him  in 
a  long  suite  of  rooms  filled  with  clerks  and  secretaries 
at  work.  I  was  shown  directly  into  his  room,  where 
he  received  me  alone.  It  was  Wolff.  He  said  to  me, 
the  moment  I  entered  the  room  : 

"  The  fates  are  kind  to  me.  You  are  the  very  man 
of  all  others  whom  I  wanted  to  see.  Sit  down  and 
answer  a  few  of  my  questions  before  you  ask  me  any. 
First,  are  you  free  from  all  engagements  ?  " 

My  reply  to  this  was  that  I  was  just  finishing  my 
vacation  and  was  about  to  return  to  New  York.  For 
the  moment,  I  was  absolutely  idle  and  free  from  every 
business  engagement. 

"  Good,"  said  he.  "  My  time  is  short  and  I  want  to 
get  to  business  at  once.  I  am  seventy-five  years  old 
to-day,  and  I  do  not  believe  I  have  over  twenty  more 
years  to  live.  In  fact,  the  horoscope  which  I  have 
been  casting,  lately,  warns  me  I  shall  be  cut  off  before  I 
am  one  hundred.  I  am  feeling  as  if  I  could  live  a 
thousand  years.     I  have  never  wasted  my  vitality  in 


228  NAPOLEON   WOLFF. 

dissipation  ;  I  have  never  been  a  stuffer  of  foods  and 
drink,  and  now  I  have  my  reward — a  buoyant,  vigor- 
ous, splendid  old  age.  If  it  were  not  for  the  cursed 
sign  of  Capricornus,  which  comes  into  conjunction 
with  my  star  after  I  am  ninety-five,  I  should  have 
hopes  of  reaching  the  hundred-mark.  But  one  can't 
have  everything  in  this  world.  But  I  have  plenty  of 
time  and  plenty  of  power  to  turn  the  entire  world 
upside  down,  and  revolutionize  this  rotten  modern 
society  and  establish  in  its  place  a  clean  civilization." 

"  You  still  adhere  to  your  original  idea,  then  ?  "  I 
said. 

"  Napoleon  Wolff  never  changes." 

"Why  have  you  used  the  name  McGregor?  It 
seems  to  me  that  that  is  a  change." 

"  I  mean  in  ideas,  sir.  When  I  left  America,  I  was 
bowed  down  with  shame  and  despair.  I  had  fairly 
gnawed  my  fingers  to  the  quick  with  my  impatience 
to  throttle  the  evils  which  overspread  society.  If  it 
had  not  been  for  the  comforts  of  astrology,  I  should 
have  committed  suicide.  An  inspiration  directed  me 
to  Australia.  In  that  distant  country  I  shook  off 
everything  of  my  former  life,  including  my  name. 
What  does  a  name  signify  ?  One  label  is  as  good 
as  another  for  a  man  like  me.  I  have  founded  no 
family  and  have  no  ties.  You  can  call  me  Wolff 
or  McGregor,  just  as  you  please,  and  I  will  respond 
to  either." 

"  And  are  all  the  stories  about  your  tremendous  dis- 
covery of  diamonds  true  ?  " 

"  The  truth  has  not  been  half  told.     I  have  received, 


NAPOLEON   WOLFF.  229 

in  bonds  and  securities,  the  sum  of  ten  millions  sterling 
— fifty  millions  of  dollars,  and  still  own  a  half  interest 
in  the  mine." 

"  And  now  what  do  you  propose  ?  " 

"  I  propose  to  found,  at  once,  a  great  daily  newspaper, 
whose  management  shall  be  honest  and  upright,  and 
which  shall  be  an  unswerving  foe  to  all  that  is  wrong, 
and  a  sworn  ally  to  everything  that  is  right.  You  will 
see  that  in  my  prospectus,  which  is  now  being  prepared 
in  the  next  room." 

"  Can't  you  think  of  anything  more  original  to  put 
into  your  prospectus  than  that  ?  Every  newspaper 
claims  that  now." 

"  I  have  no  time  for  light  discussions.  I  want  you 
to  bear  that  in  mind  in  dealing  with  me.  I  am  seventy- 
five  years  old  and  must  get  on.  I  want  you  with  me,  for 
the  reason  that  you  are  the  only  man  I  ever  met  in 
America  who  had  the  faintest  traces  of  appreciation  of 
me  and  my  work.  If  you  like,  you  can  be  the  editor 
of  this  paper,  and  I  will  pay  you  any  salary  you  like.  I 
haven't  any  time  to  stop  to  bargain.  If  you  have  any 
suggestions  to  make,  I  shall  be  glad  to  listen  to  them  ; 
but  when  I  have  once  made  up  my  mind  about  any- 
thing, you  will  save  me  trouble  and  loss  of  time  by  not 
seeking  to  change  me.  I  haven't  time  now,  at  my 
period  of  life,  to  deviate  for  one  second  from  a  marked 
course.  I  intend  to  have  this  paper  appear  in  every 
one  of  the  capitals  of  the  world.  I  shall  make  my  first 
appearance  in  the  city  of  New  York,  and  branch  out 
just  as  soon  as  I  get  my  newspaper  well  going  there." 

"  Have  you  selected  the  name  yet  ?  " 


230  NAPOLEON   WOLFF. 

"  Yes,  I  have.  I  propose  to  call  it  the  Daily  Dia- 
mond. I  think  that  name  will  attract  attention.  It 
suggests,  at  first,  brilliancy  and  light.  These  are  the 
first  requisites  of  my  newspaper.  I  propose,  in  the  first 
place,  to  employ  every  reasonably  honest  man  in  jour- 
nalism. I  intend  to  make  a  corner  in  good  men.  It 
is  possible  that  I  may  meet  with  some  slight  opposition 
at  the  start,  because  I  intend  to  publish  the  truth 
about  every  one.  I  intend  to  expose  every  hypocrite 
in  sight,  large  or  small.  Libel  suits  I  sha'n't  care  any- 
thing about.  I  have  got  money  enough  to  float  me  by 
anything  of  that  kind.  In  other  words,  I  propose  to 
stir  up  things.  Now,  in  reality,  I  have  no  confidence 
in  any  one,  not  even  in  you.  I  have  made  a  careful 
study  of  the  New  York  newspapers,  and  they  have 
some  good  features.  It's  possible  that  I  shall  go 
beyond  them,  however,  in  some  of  these  particular 
features  that  I  admire.  Now,  I  don't  want  any  one  to 
think  he  can,  by  any  service,  gain  with  me  any  hold  or 
attachment.  I  am  utterly  without  human  sympathies. 
I  was  born  into  the  world  as  an  emissary  of  retribution 
for  a  wicked  and  misguided  society.  It  is  probable 
that,  for  a  long  time,  until  I  get  my  hand  in,  I  shall  be 
obliged  to  discharge,  every  day,  my  entire  staff,  from 
the  office  boy  up,  in  order  to  have  my  ideas  perfectly 
carried  out.  I  will  make  an  exception  in  your  behalf, 
and  even  give  you  the  benefit  of  a  written  contract,  for 
I  shall  never  forget  your  purchase  of  my  manuscript  a 
quarter  of  a  century  ago.  It  was  not  the  money  that 
you  gave  me,  but  it  was  the  appreciation  of  my  essays 
that  made  me  resolve  to  show  you,  some  day,  how  you 


NAPOLEON   WOLFF.  23 1 

pierced  through  the  hide  of  Napoleon  Wolff  and 
touched  his  grim  heart." 

During  this  interview,  I  had  only  a  brief  sketch  of 
this  newspaper  of  the  future,  but  I  was  impressed  with 
some  of  its  original  features.  He  surely  had  money 
enough  to  produce  any  kind  of  newspaper.  He  seemed 
to  have  certain  ground  notions,  however,  that  promised 
well  ;  although,  if  he  was  to  follow  up  his  theory  of 
publishing  the  truth  about  everybody  as  fast  as  he 
could  gather  it  in,  he  would  certainly  need  all  the 
revenues  from  his  diamond  mines  to  protect  him  from 
personal  vengeance  and  financial  loss. 

I  faintly  suggested  something  of  this  thought  to 
him,  when  he  said,  with  an  air  of  satisfaction  :  "  I've 
arranged  for  all  that,  and  in  a  way  that  you  possibly 
will  conceive  to  be  good.  Now,  I  don't  propose  to 
start  a  New  York  newspaper  and  edit  it  from  Europe 
by  cable.  That's  worn  out.  I  don't  propose  to  imi- 
tate any  one.  I  propose  to  edit  my  newspaper  from 
a  balloon.  Who  can  interview  or  get  at  me  in  a 
balloon  ?  " 

"  But  a  balloon  has  to  come  down  some  time.  I 
believe  the  longest  record  of  suspension  of  any  balloon 
has  never  reached  the  limit  of  twenty-four  hours. 
This  very  society  which  you  propose  to  crumble,  by 
the  exposure  of  its  hidden  vices  and  hypocrisies,  might 
take  a  turn  at  pulverizing  you." 

"We'll  come  to  that  in  a  minute,  and  you'll  see  that 
I  have  overcome  that  difficulty.  I  propose  to  carry 
modern  journalism  to  its  logical  conclusion  and  abolish 
any  such  contemptible  thing  as  privacy  in  life.    When 


232  NAPOLEON   WOLFF. 

people  are  kept  constantly  bared  to  the  cold  gaze  of 
public  censors,  then,  and  then  only,  will  they  be 
honest.  According  to  my  notion,  we  will  never  have 
a  pure  administration  until  every  transaction  is  made 
in  the  light  of  open  day.  No  act  of  any  public  official 
would  be  free  from  instant  inspection  of  anybody." 

He  paused  for  a  moment  in  his  eloquence,  and  then 
I  said  : 

"  My  dear  Mr.  Wolff,  I  think  you  have  adopted 
altogether  too  mild  a  name  for  your  newspaper.  I 
should  call  it,  at  least,  the  Daily  Earthquake.  If  you 
insist  upon  your  programme,  I  have  no  doubt  that 
society  will  roll  and  tremble  before  you.  But  I  am  no 
longer  young,  and  I  do  not  yearn  for  the  excitement 
of  editing  your  distinguished  journal  of  reform.  I 
know  of  no  bomb-proof  that  could  be  constructed 
strong  enough  to  protect  me  ;  and  I  think,  if  it  is  all 
the  same  to  you,  I  shall  prefer  to  be  a  reader  of  your 
newspaper  rather  than  its  editor." 

He  looked  at  me  coldly,  as  he  said  :  "  I  always  sus- 
pected you  had  a  weak  streak  in  you.  But,  as  you 
have  the  technical  knowledge  required  to  publish  these 
newspapers,  and  as  I  have  more  confidence  in  you  than 
in  any  one  living,  I  propose  to  waste  a  little  of  my 
precious  time  in  showing  you  the  advantages  of  your 
acceptance  of  my  offer.  In  the  first  place,  I  will  settle 
upon  you  $100,000  for  each  dollar  you  paid  me  years 
ago.  That  will  make  $300,000.  Then  I  will  give  you 
$25,000  a  year  for  life;  and  here,  take  this  as  a 
memento  of  my  esteem  for  the  only  man  who  ever 
touched  the  heart  of  Napoleon  Wolff  "  ;  and  he  tossed, 


NAPOLEON   WOLFF.  233 

lightly,  across  the  table  a  diamond,  about  the  size  of  the 
Koh-i-noor,  sparkling  with  light  and  brilliance.  Before 
I  could  stammer  out  my  acceptance  of  so  much  mag- 
nificence, he  continued,  with  great  rapidity  :  "  I  think 
I  have  used  arguments  which  are  unanswerable ;  but  I 
will  add  one  thing  more  which  will  leave  you  without 
a  leg  to  stand  on.  Your  precious  life  will  at  no  time 
be  in  danger  during  your  employment." 

The  sensations  of  shock  and  surprise  at  the  fantastic 
liberality  of  Napoleon  Wolff  and  the  possibilities  of 
this  reckless  man's  future,  with  so  much  wealth  at  his 
command,  made  me  dumb.  My  power  to  ask  ques- 
tions was,  for  the  moment,  at  an  end. 

But  he  seemed  to  anticipate  my  question,  for  he 
said  :  "  I  am  the  owner  of  a  new  flying  machine  which 
is  perfect.  I  can  go  up  and  stay  in  it  for  years  if  I  like 
and  go  where  I  like.  It's  large  enough  to  carry 
supplies  for  any  time  that  I  may  wish.  I'll  take  you 
with  me." 

Now  I  knew  that  Wolff  was  mad,  and  I  didn't 
wonder  that  even  his  sturdy  brain,  after  a  long  life  of 
toil  and  disappointment,  should  give  away  under  the 
rapturous  strain  of  such  unparalleled  fortune. 

He  saw  the  shadow  of  this  thought  in  my  face,  as 
he  said  : 

"  I  hope  you  are  without  prejudices.  It's  such  an 
awful  waste  of  time  to  have  to  explain  things  to  a  man 
who  is  loaded  up  with  prejudices.  Last  week  I  con- 
cluded a  bargain  with  an  inventor,  who  has  made  one 
of  the  greatest  discoveries  of  his  or  of  any  time.  This 
inventor  has  discovered  the  law  of   force  that  sustains 


234  NAPOLEON   WOLFF. 

the  stars  in  their  course,  and  which,  in  action,  suspends 
the  law  of  gravitation." 

I  started  to  my  feet.  "  Do  you  mean  Moritz 
Schlager  ?  " 

"Yes.  That's  good.  You've  heard  of  him;  that 
saves  time." 

"But  Schlager  was  lost  on  the  'Wien.'  " 

"  No,  he  wasn't.    Do  you  believe  in  God  Almighty  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  so." 

"  Well,  do  you  suppose  God  Almighty  would  create 
such  an  inventor  as  that  and  permit  him  to  make  such 
discoveries  and  then  take  him  out  of  the  world  before 
any  use  had  been  made  of  them  ?  " 

Then,  without  waiting  for  any  answer  to  this,  he 
continued  :  "  Schlager,  insulted  and  rejected  by  the 
German  Government,  as  you  possibly  know,  if  you 
know  anything  about  him  at  all,  resolved  to  escape 
from  the  country  and  evade  the  police.  He  took 
passage  on  the  'Wien,'  but  he  did  not  depart  on  that 
vessel.  Re  made  his  way  out  of  Germany  unobserved 
and  came  to  London.  He  had  thought  of  going  to 
the  United  States  ;  then — not  knowing  that  country 
very  well — and  fearing  that,  owing  to  its  isolation,  it 
might  not  be  in  haste  to  control  a  power  which  it 
could,  under  no  circumstances,  employ  against  other 
nations,  he  came  to  London  and  remained  in  hiding. 
He  was  bitterly  resolved  to  make  no  more  experimental 
offers  to  any  one  until  he  was  sure  of  his  man.  When 
I  came  to  London,  with  more  revenues  at  my  disposal 
than  any  government  could  have  for  a  private  purpose, 
he  came  to  me.     He   found   in  me  that  appreciation 


NAPOLEON    WOLFF.  235 

which  he  could  have  found  nowhere  else.  I  tested  the 
principle  of  his  discovery  and  found  it  to  be  correct.  I 
have  been  very  prompt.  Yesterday  I  closed  a  contract 
with  him,  and  this  morning  I  rented  a  large  estate  in 
Surrey  for  a  private  experimental  station.  We  will 
have  our  flying  machine  ready  in  a  month.  We  will 
mount  into  space  and  come  down  when  and  where  we 
please.  Before  we  go,  we'll  establish  a  perfect  system 
and  a  chain  of  agents  all  over  the  world.  We  can 
drop  dispatches  of  instructions  to  our  various  agents 
wherever  we  happen  to  be.  We  will  take  with  us  at 
least  $5,000,000  in  coin  and  bills,  for  the  payment  of 
orders,  dispatches,  and  what  not.  We  will  provide  for 
a  line  of  stations  to  flash  back  to  us  answering  mes- 
sages by  the  heliograph  system.  If  everything  goes 
well,  we  will  never  come  down  until  a  regenerated 
society  begs  us  to  come  and  offers  us  the  presidency  of 
the  world." 

Napoleon  Wolff  now  called  in  Moritz  Schlager  and 
introduced  him  to  me.  He  answered  perfectly  to  the 
description  of  him  given  me  by  my  friend,  Count 
Ernst.  Schlager  confirmed  every  detail  of  that  story, 
as  related  by  Count  Ernst. 

Before  my  departure,  Napoleon  Wolff  gave  me  one 
more  beautiful  thought  concerning  his  newspaper  of 
the  future.  "I  propose,"  he  said,  "  to  eliminate,  abso- 
lutely, from  my  newspaper  the  word  modesty.  My 
paper  shall  be  the  best ;  my  editors  shall  have  the 
largest  brains  that  money  can  buy.  All  the  talents, 
and  graces,  and  virtues  of  the  world  shall  be  purchased 
by   my   money,   and    paraded   in   the    columns  of    my 


236  NAPOLEON   WOLFF. 

newspaper.  Every  man  connected  with  my  staff  shall 
be  required  to  have  printed  upon  his  card  the  detailed 
statement  of  his  special  excellence  and  qualities.  For 
instance,  if  you  were  to  live  on  terra  firma  as  my 
responsible  agent,  I  should  require  you  to  have  printed 
on  your  card  :  'Henry  Osborn,  the  largest-brained  and 
broadest-minded  editor  in  the  universe.'  The  editor 
of  my  religious  department  should  be  required  to  have 
a  similar  decoration.  So  on,  throughout  the  entire 
range  of  my  service.  The  foolish  people,  who  think  a 
newspaper  should  be  conducted  upon  the  lines  of  con- 
duct that  govern  the  life  of  a  private  gentleman,  are 
laboring  under  a  delusion.  I  prefer,  however,  to 
widen  the  field  of  our  claims,  by  extending  it  from  the 
newspapers  which  I  shall  create,  to  the  men  employed 
upon  them.  I  think,  in  this  way,  we  will  make  a  much 
deeper  impression  upon  society." 

I,  here,  very  feebly  suggested  that,  if  he  adhered 
rigidly  to  the  line  of  policy  he  contemplated,  he 
need  not  worry  for  fear  he  would  not  produce  a  pro- 
found enough  impression.  I  added  that  I  feared 
there  would  be  a  great  loss  of  life  connected  with 
the  publication  of  his  journal,  and  that  he  might  find 
some  trouble  in  recruiting  members  for  the  various 
staffs. 

He  made  light  of  this. 

"  I  may,  at  first,  lose  a  few  of  my  faithful  employees," 
said  he,  "  but  I  am  prepared  for  that  kind  of  thing. 
Money  will  supply  me  with  more.  If  society  is  too 
troublesome  in  its  retaliation,  I  shall  select  a  few  con- 
spicuous examples,  and  drop  a  bomb  or  two  around 


NAPOLEON   WOLFF.  237 

them    as    a    gentle    reminder    that    the    editor   of    the 
Diamond  is  not  a  man  to  be  trifled  with." 

A  few  moments  afterwards,  I  was  abruptly  dismissed 
by  my  new  chief.  He  said  that  he  had  wasted  all  the 
time  he  intended  to  upon  me.  For  the  next  two  or 
three  weeks  he  expected  to  be  busy  with  Herr  Schlager. 
I  was  to  come  down  to  Elmhurst  upon  the  30th  of 
that  month — two  weeks  later.  That  was  the  day  fixed 
for  the  trial  of  the  first  flying  machine,  and  if  every- 
thing worked  well.  Napoleon  Wolff  intended  to  make 
a  short  voyage  with  the  inventor,  to  test  fully  the 
merits  of  the  new  discovery. 


238 


CHAPTER    V. 

It  was  on  the  30th  of  November,  1 893,  that  I  took  a 
train  out  of  Waterloo  station  to  run  down  to  Elmhurst. 
During  the  intervening  time  I  had  been  busy  carrying 
out  Wolff's  orders.  I  made  one  financial  arrangement 
after  another,  all  relating  to  the  publication  of  the  new 
paper  to  come  out,  early  in  the  year,  in  the  city  of 
New  York.  We  had  cabled  over  for  presses,  and 
found  that  we  could  have  a  dozen  ready  about  the  1st 
of  April.  A  good  site  for  a  building  had  also  been 
arranged  for,  and  I  was  to  cross  by  the  first  steamer, 
after  the  experiment  at  Elmhurst,  to  take  charge  of 
the  local  organization  and  to  complete  the  details  of 
organizing  the  vast  domestic  machinery  and  system 
necessary  for  the  successful  production  of  a  modern 
newspaper  in  the  great  metropolis  of  New  York.  I 
was  very  contented  with  my  work.  I  steadfastly 
refused  to  follow  along  the  line  of  logical  conclusion 
outlined  by  Mr.  Wolff  for  his  newspaper,  trusting  con- 
fidently, in  my  happy-go-lucky  nature,  to  the  trend  of 
circumstances  to  mould  the  order  of  things  more  in 
accordance  with  reasonable  lines.  There  is  no  pleasure 
so  keen  in  the  world  as  that  of  spending  other  people's 
money  ;  and,  as  I  was  given  perfect  freedom  by  my 
employer,   I,  to   use  a  good   American   phrase,  fairly 


NAPOLEON   WOLFF.  239 

made  things  hum  in  my  preparations  for  this  great 
publication.  I  arrived  at  Elmhurst  late  in  the  after- 
noon. The  long  twilight  of  an  English  fall  day  makes 
it  light  until  nearly  nine  in  the  evening. 

I  found  that,  through  the  magical  influence  of 
money  and  the  skill  of  Herr  Schlager,  a  most  satis- 
factory flying  machine,  strong  enough  to  house,  com- 
fortably, at  least  fifty  people,  had  been  constructed.  It 
was  not  a  large  apparatus,  and  had  something  of  the 
appearance  of  a  yacht,  with  the  exception  that,  instead 
of  high  masts  and  sweeping  sails,  it  had,  at  the  sides, 
lateral  platforms  in  the  shape  of  wings.  I  descended 
to  the  cabin,  which  was  fitted  up  with  substantial  com- 
forts, and  there  I  met  Mr.  Wolff  and  the  inventor.  Mr. 
Wolff  said  : 

"  It  is  not  necessary,  for  the  moment,  for  you  to  ex- 
amine this  machine  to  gain  any  technical  knowledge 
concerning  it.  The  engine  which  generates  the  power 
that  opposes  and  renders  negative  the  law  of  gravita- 
tion, is  so  simple,  that  you  will  be  surprised,  upon  its 
examination,  that  a  stupid  world  has  not  found  out  its 
principle  long  ago.  The  moment  you  concede  that 
principle  to  be  established,  then  a  flying  machine  is  as 
practical  as  any  vehicle  now  employed  for  transporta- 
tion on  terra  firma.  All  really  great  discoveries  are 
simple.  We  have  stocked  this  machine  for  three 
months.  It  is  possible  that  I  may  wish  to  make  a  tour 
of  discovery  and  observation  before  actually  beginning 
my  work  in  New  York.  I  will  be  much  obliged  to  you 
if  you  will  cross  directly  by  steamer  and  await  our 
arrival  in  New  York. 


240  NAPOLEON    WOLFF. 

"But,"  said  I,  in  surprise,  "you  do  not  mean  that 
you  are  going  to  set  off  on  so  long  a  voyage  without 
first  making  some  experiments  as  to  the  power  of  this 
new  force  ?  " 

"  We  have  already  made  these  experiments.  We 
have  been  up  during  the  last  few  nights,  and  have  been 
able  to  maintain  a  speed,  going  in  any  direction  we 
please,  of  one  hundred  miles  an  hour.  What  more 
would  you  want  than  that  ?  You  must  remember  my 
time  is  short.  Never  forget  that.  I  have  only  called 
you  down  here  for  my  final  instructions.  I  have  placed 
$1,000,000  to  the  credit  of  the  new  newspaper  in  New 
York,  and  you,  as  my  official  director,  will  have 
authority  to  draw  upon  its  funds.  Go  ahead,  and  take 
the  next  steamer,  and  await  our  arrival  there." 

"  But  shall  I  not  remain  here  and  see  you  depart  ?  " 

"  Oh,  if  you  like.  You  have  more  time  than  I.  You 
can  afford  to  gratify  your  curiosity,  I  suppose.  When 
is  the  next  fast  steamer  for  America?  " 

"  The  '  Paris '  will  leave  Southampton  to-morrow 
afternoon." 

"  Well,  if  you  can  make  that  steamer,  stay.  We 
leave  in  exactly  an  hour." 

The  impatience  of  the  two  men  to  be  away  was 
great.  The  few  men  who  had  been  employed  upon 
the  flying  machine  had  long  ago  been  dismissed  ;  and 
as  experiments  of  this  kind  are  not  uncommon  in 
England,  no  great  attention  had  been  concentrated 
upon  the  work  of  these  men,  upon  the  lonely  farm  near 
Elmhurst,  leased  by  Napoleon  Wolff. 

All   of  the  work   relating  to  the   new  discovery  had 


NAPOLEON   WOLFF.  241 

been  done  by  Herr  Schlager  himself.  At  midnight  I 
left  the  house,  accompanied  by  the  two  men.  I  was 
the  only  witness  of  the  departure  of  the  "  Monte 
Cristo,"  Mr.  Wolff  having  given  the  vessel  the  same 
name  as  the  one  given  to  his  mine.  I  was  not  permitted 
to  enter  the  vessel  after  their  arrival.  It  was  supported 
lightly  upon  the  right  and  left  by  staves.  Herr  Schlager 
entered  the  vessel  first,  climbing  a  little  ladder  placed 
there  for  the  purpose.  Then  Napoleon  Wolff  mounted 
and  the  ladder  was  pulled  up  after  him.  Leaning  over 
the  rail  of  this  graceful  yacht-shaped  vehicle,  he  called 
out  to  me:  "My  friend,  the  work  of  regenerating 
society  is  about  to  begin.  Be  faithful  to  the  trust  I 
have  reposed  in  you  and  go  ahead.  Await  orders  in 
New  York." 

These  were  his  last  words.  The  vehicle  rose  like  a 
bird,  and  sailing  upon  a  graceful  curve,  mounted  with 
the  greatest  rapidity,  and,  in  a  few  seconds,  vanished 
like  the  shadow  of  a  dream. 

I  arrived  in  New  York  just  before  Christmas.  There 
is  still  no  word  of  Napoleon  Wolff  and  his  flying 
machine.  There  has  been  no  message  dropped.  I  am 
still  confident,  however,  that  two  such  great  men, 
carrying  with  them  the  principle  of  such  a  discovery, 
cannot  be  lost.  But,  until  I  have  some  positive  news, 
I  do  not  dare  to  go  ahead  with  the  full  preparations  of 
the  publication  of  the  Daily  Diamond. 


THE    END. 


WHITE  CROSS    LITERATURE. 

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